Analyzing Brokerage Roles in the Electronics Supply Network: A Quantitative Approach Based on Activity and Exclusivity

This study empirically examines the role of broker firms within the supply network of Korea’s electronics industry, where cross-industry convergence is actively progressing. Using 2021 transaction data from KoDATA, we constructed a network comprising 2,140 transaction ties among 1,351 firms and identified 389 firms that perform brokerage roles. Brokerage roles were quantified using two indicators—activity and exclusivity—and broker types were integrated into three functionally distinct categories: coordinator, boundary spanner, and external linking. Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and K-means clustering were then applied to classify firms into four broker clusters. To complement the network-based quantitative analysis, we compared transaction-based industry flows with patterns found in the national input-output table, thereby enabling multi-faceted verification of cross-industry convergence paths based on real transaction data. The resulting clusters were categorized as multifunctional, externally expanding, boundary-spanning, and internally focused brokers, each showing distinct structural features in terms of network centrality, connectivity, and irreplaceability. Notably, externally expanding and boundary-spanning brokers played a key role in mediating convergence flows between the electronics industry and the automotive and machinery sectors. This study contributes by providing a structural and empirical framework for identifying strategic brokers and offers practical implications for supply chain design and industrial policy.