Penn Innovation Ecosystem

Innovation at Penn springs from many sources. The people, places, and initiatives driving innovation across our 12 schools are connected in networks through which ideas and resources flow. We’ve created a visualization of this innovation ecosystem that lets you explore the relationships between various hubs of innovation across the university. 

How to use this interactive model 

The chart below contains 70 nodes that each represent an epicenter of innovation at Penn (e.g. a school, an institute, a publication). The individual nodes are categorized into at least one of the following groups: 

TYPES

Research Icon

R&D

Teaching Icon

Teaching

Organizer Icon

Organizer

Knowledge Icon

Knowledge

Media Icon

Media

Connections Between Nodes 

Two nodes are connected if one of them (the source) links to the other (the target) on its website. For example, the website for Leonard Davis Institute (source) contains a hyperlink to Penn Nursing (target). Mapping the weblinks signifies the relationships and connections between nodes. 

my plot

EXPLORE MORE: FILTERS AND BEHAVIORS

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

Reset

By default, the diagram shows the full network with all the nodes and relationships among them. You can always restore it by clicking “Reset Full Network.” 

Filter: Exclude Some Information

It may not be helpful for your purposes to include the professional schools in a particular visualization. To explore a network without schools, click on “Exclude schools from network”. 

Hover: Get More Information

To get information about an individual innovation node:
• hover over the node until an icon appears
• click on the weblink on the icon
To get information about an innovation node
• hover over the node until an icon appears
• click on the weblink on the icon

Sources & Targets: See Relationship Between Two Specific Innovation Centers

To explore the network between specific sources and targets
• list them individually in the windows “Select Source Node(s)” and “Select Target Node(s)” using attached pull-down menus
• click “Generate” 
To explore the network between specific sources and targets
• list them individually in the windows “Select Source Node(s)” and “Select Target Node(s)” using attached pull-down menus
• click “Generate”

Types: Explore Broad Categories

To explore the network between general types of innovation nodes
• choose nodes by clicking on the corresponding buttons under “Select Source Type(s)” and “Select Target Type(s)”
• click “Generate” 
To explore the network between specific types of innovation nodes
• choose nodes by clicking on the corresponding buttons under “Select Source Type(s)” and “Select Target Type(s)”
• click “Generate”

Interactive Toolbar

color

Library

Move

Pan

Pan the plot by left-dragging a mouse or dragging a finger across the plot region.
detail

Wheel Zoom

Zoom the plot in and out, centering on the current mouse location.
Add

Tap

Click the left mouse button, or tapping with a finger to see the website of each node.
Group Icon

Point Draw Tool

Drag to move a node.
Save Icon

Save

Save a PNG image of the plot.
Refresh Icon

Reset

Restore the plot ranges to their original values.
Feedback Icon

Hover

Hover on each node and see the Name, Number of ties, URL, and Categories of node.