Innovation dynamics in the EU: convergence or divergence? A cross-country panel data analysis

This paper investigates whether a convergence or divergence of national innovation capabilities of the 15 EU countries occurs in the course of time. An answer to this question permits immediate conclusions with regard to the success prospects of a convergence of per capita incomes and labor productivities within the EU. For the empirical analysis based on patents granted at the US-Patent and Trademark Office, unit root tests for time series and panel data are used to scrutinize the convergence hypothesis. Taking all results together, evidence points to the fact that an absolute convergence of innovation capabilities is an exception. However, for a number of countries the results suggest either conditional convergence or convergence to their own growth paths.

How markets will drive the transition to a low carbon economy

This paper investigates the driving factors behind the transition to a low carbon economy. Here, we offer a two-part analysis: First, we examine the factors leading to the current level of cleantech development. To do so, we examine the impact of country-level economic variables (real GDP, market return, and turnover) and country-level institutional variables on patent intensity. Results from this analysis show that cleantech patenting activity is fostered by a supportive institutional environment that promotes innovation and low-carbon development through carbon pricing policies, country-level public R&D expenditure and human capital. Second, we extend the notion of ‘path creation’ to map out different pathways for cleantech development on a country-level within a real options framework, and offer a corresponding valuation of cleantech patents. Our estimates of total wealth creation through the development of cleantech patents by 2050 range from US$10.16 to US$15.49 trillion dollars (13%–20% of the world GDP in 2017) with investment growth from US$2.93 to US$3.71 trillion (3.7%–4.7% of the world GDP in 2017). The results from our analysis suggest that market forces will drive the transition to a cleantech economy.     

Protecting Innovation Through Patents and Trade Secrets: Evidence for Firms with a Single Innovation

Abstract

This paper analyzes the use and effectiveness of patents and trade secrets designed to protect innovation. While previous studies have usually considered patents and trade secrets as substitutes for one another, we investigate to what extent and in what situations the two protection methods are used jointly. We identify protection strategies for single innovation firms and hence overcome the assignment problem of existing empirical studies, that is, whether firms using both protection methods do so for the same innovation or for different innovations. Employing firm panel data from Germany, we find fairly few differences between the determinants for choosing secrecy and patenting. Single innovators that combine both strategies, 39% of the group, tend to aim at a higher level of innovation and act in a more uncertain technological environment. Firms combining both protection methods yield significantly higher sales with new-to-market innovations, providing some evidence for a complementarity of the two protection methods.     

地理邻近与知识产权——基于中国1 331项新能源技术发明专利的实证研究

虽然远程交流技术快速发展，但现有研究表明专利发明在很大程度上仍依赖于信息的地理邻近。以中国1992-2009年的1 331个新能源发明专利为研究对象，运用Jung Wonn,Jaffe等的实验设计方法，研究了专利引证的地理邻近是否会随时间递进而增大。结果表明，个人、大学、公司及其它种类发明专利引证的地理邻近会随着时间变化而增大，而政府受到的影响较小。另外，由于区域城市分属不同省份，因此并不能证明区域专利引证的地理邻近也会随着时间变化而增大。     

中国金融业专利的发展特征及影响因素分析

本文通过对1985年以来国内金融业专利状况的统计分析,发现其发展具有以下特征:第一,申请数量2000年以来发生了大幅波动;第二,申请者结构发生了改变;第三,主要集中在传统银行业务的电子化和网络化方面;第四,国外申请者的申请数量接近一半,并且在发明专利的占比上远远超过内地金融机构。本文的实证部分利用多元回归和主成分分析方法,发现中国金融业竞争程度和金融业对外开放程度所代表的需求性因素是影响金融业专利发展的主要原因。     

专利市场化视角下校企发明专利维持时间影响因素比较研究

专利市场化水平通过对专利权人预期收益率的影响与专利维持时间产生联系。对高校和企业发明专利维持时间及其影响因素进行比较,可为提升高校专利市场化水平提供借鉴。从专利市场化视角出发,以华为和华南理工大学（以下简称“华工”）为例,运用回归分析方法对发明专利维持时间影响因素进行研究。结果发现,华为发明专利维持时间较长,且在审查时间、发明人数和权利要求数方面存在较大差异;各自变量对二者发明专利维持时间的解释力度亦有区别。为提升高校专利市场化水平,提出应强化知识产权创造市场导向、优化发明专利性质布局、强化发明专利专业属性、促进校企科研合作等合理化建议。     

我国智能语音行业专利战略研究———以科大讯飞为例

智能语音产业作为我国七大战略性新兴产业之一,是软件产业中为数不多掌握自主知识产权并处于国际领先水平的领域,一直受到国家各级主管部门高度重视,已被列入多项国家科技发展规划和政策支持领域。通过选取中文语音市场份额最大的科大讯飞作为研究对象,并对其进行竞争优势和劣势分析,提出了我国"基础性专利向前发展扩张+应用性专利向后设立壁垒"的思路,以及探讨战略实施过程中构建专利联盟、绘制专利地图、建立专利预警机制等具体策略。     

International Knowledge Flows: Evidence From Patent Citations

This paper explores the patterns of citations among patents taken out by inventors in the U.S., the U.K., Francc. Germany and Japan. We find (I) patents assigned to the same firm are more likely to cite each other, and come sooncr than other citations; (2) patents in the same patent class are approxinlatcly 100 titlles as likely to cite each other as ydtents froin different patent classes, but there is not a strong time pattern to this effect; (3) patents whose inventors reside in the same country are typically 30 to 80% more likely to cite each other than inventors from othcr countrics, and these citations come sooner; and (4) there are clear country-specific citation tendencies, e.g., Japanese citations typically come sooner than those of othcr countries.     

Patents,R&;D and lag effects: evidence from flexible methods for count panel data on manufacturing firms

This paper investigates the relationship between patents and research and development expenditures using new longitudinal patent data at the firm level for the U.S. manufacturing sector from 1982 to 1992. The paper also develops a new class of count panel data models based on series expansion of the distribution of individual effects. Estimation results from various distributed lag and dynamic multiplicative panel count data models show that the contemporaneous relationship between patenting and R&D expenditures continues to be strong, accounting for over 60% of the total R&D elasticity. The lag effects are higher than have previously been found for the 1970s data. We would like to thank Chris Bollinger, Bronwyn Hall and Paula Stephan for useful comments on the previous version of the paper. Earlier versions were presented at the 11th International Conference on Panel Data, Texas A&M University, the Midwest Econometrics Group Meeting, and the Annual Conference of the Southern Economic Association.     

Does the nano-patent ‘Gold rush’ lead to entrepreneurial-driven growth? Some policy lessons from China and Japan

In this study we compare the nano-patent landscapes of China and Japan in order to assess how their structures (type, fragmentation and concentration of patent ownership) affect the organization of the nanotechnology industry. We also analyze technology policy in order to assess how these interventions support technology transfer and nano-exploitation through university–industry collaboration and technology entrepreneurship. Drawing upon 20,365 patent families related to carbon nanotubes from 1994 to present, we found that two dissimilar technology policies boosting national innovation system emerged: China is more focused on forging an anchor-tenant model, while Japan exhibits a more industry-oriented model through demand-side policy intervention. Implications for firms? strategies and policy makers are discussed.