A Policy Insight into the R&D-Patent Relationship

de Rassenfosse, Gaétan; van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1726209

Download This Paper

Open PDF in Browser

Add Paper to My Library

A Policy Insight into the R&D-Patent Relationship

Research Policy, Vol. 38, No. 5, 2009

39 Pages Posted: 18 Dec 2010

See all articles by Gaétan de Rassenfosse

Gaétan de Rassenfosse

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie

Free University of Brussels - Solvay Business School; Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

There are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 1, 2009

Abstract

Contrary to an accepted wisdom, this paper shows that cross-country variations in the number of patents per researcher do not only reflect differences in the propensity to patent but also signals differences in research productivity. We put forward and test an empirical model that formally accounts for the productivity and the propensity component of the R&D-patent relationship. The two components play an important role, as witnessed by the impact of several policies, including education, intellectual property and science and technology policies. Indicators based on domestic priority filings reflect research efforts and are primarily affected by varying propensities to patent. In contrast, international filings, especially triadic patents, rather capture variations in research productivity.

Keywords: Patstat, R&D, patent system, priority filing, propensity to patent, research productivity, triadic

JEL Classification: O30, O38

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

de Rassenfosse, Gaétan and van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno, A Policy Insight into the R&D-Patent Relationship (January 1, 2009). Research Policy, Vol. 38, No. 5, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1726209 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1726209