Knowledge dynamics and structural balance in sociotechnical transitions: A signed network perspective for sustainable integration of emerging technologies

In the context of accelerating digital innovation and environmental transformation, the relationships between emerging technologies, sustainable systems, and public governance are often characterized by intricate patterns of cooperation and conflict. While structural balance theory has been widely applied in social networks, its potential to explain resilience and fragility in sociotechnical transitions remains insufficiently examined. To address this gap, this study adopts a signed graph framework to model and analyze structural balance and systemic fragility within such networks. Using both synthetic and real-world datasets, we apply targeted perturbations including node removal and sign flipping based on centrality metrics to examine their effects on balance, modularity, and community cohesion. The results indicate a notable decrease in structural balance and a moderate increase in modularity following the removal of high-centrality nodes, reflecting heightened fragmentation and polarization. Triad analysis further shows that balanced triads principally emerge within communities, underscoring the correspondence between structural balance and cohesive substructures. These findings provide insights into how patterns of trust, regulation, and innovation may shape the resilience and coordination capacity of complex sociotechnical systems.