Conceptual themes, structural connotations, and impacts on supply chain resilience of root technology

Root technology (RT) holds significant strategic importance for achieving independent control over key core technologies and enhancing the security of industrial and supply chains. Existing research primarily relies on theoretical deduction and case analysis to propose hypotheses regarding the core dimensional structure of root technology, but lacks rigorous empirical quantitative verification, which hinders further in-depth studies. To address this gap, this study employs a three-stage methodological design to quantitatively examine and validate the dimensional structure of root technology. First, based on multi-source data including academic papers, patent documents, funded projects, policy texts, investment and financing events, and online community texts, topic modeling methods are used to analyze and identify five core dimensions: originality, fundamentality, irreplaceability, differentiation and diffusion, and multi-directional empowerment. This also reveals the heterogeneous perceptions of different actors—such as scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, politicians, and the public—across various stages of the root technology lifecycle. Subsequently, through interviews and grounded theory methods, the connotative structures and theoretical explanatory power of these five dimensions are deepened and validated. Finally, a measurement model for root technology is developed via questionnaire surveys, with rigorous reliability and validity tests confirming the model’s reliability and effectiveness. Based on this model, the positive impact of root technology on supply chain resilience is verified. This study provides effective tools and methodological support for the operational definition, precise identification, and empirical research of root technology.