The Influence of University Research on Industrial Innovation

45 Pages Posted: 27 Jul 2005 Last revised: 13 Oct 2022

See all articles by Jinyoung Kim

Jinyoung Kim

SUNY at Buffalo, College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Economics

Gerald Marschke

University at Albany - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); Harvard Law School, Labor & Worklife Program

Date Written: July 2005

Abstract

We use U.S. patent records to examine the role of research personnel as a pathway for the diffusion of ideas from university to industry. Appearing on a patent assigned to a university is evidence that an inventor has been exposed to university research, either directly as a university researcher or through some form of collaboration with university researchers. Having an advanced degree is another indicator of an inventor's exposure to university research. We find a steady increase in industry's use of inventors with university research experience over the period 1985-97, economy wide and in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries in particular. We interpret this as evidence of growth in the influence of university research on industrial innovation. Moreover, during this period we find that firms with large research operations in both industries, and young and highly capitalized firms in the pharmaceutical industry, are disproportionately active in the diffusion of ideas from the university sector. Finally, we find that the patents of firms that employ inventors with university research experience are more likely to cite university patents as prior art, suggesting that this experience better enables firms to tap academic research.

Suggested Citation

Kim, Jinyoung and Marschke, Gerald R. and Marschke, Gerald R., The Influence of University Research on Industrial Innovation (July 2005). NBER Working Paper No. w11447, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=755684

Jinyoung Kim (Contact Author)

SUNY at Buffalo, College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Economics ( email )

Buffalo, NY 14260
United States
716-645-2121 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.economics.buffalo.edu/jinyoung%20kim.html

Gerald R. Marschke

University at Albany - Department of Economics ( email )

BA 110
1400 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12222
United States
518-437-3755 (Phone)
518-442-5298 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-588-0301 (Phone)

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Harvard Law School, Labor & Worklife Program ( email )

125 Mt. Auburn St., 3rd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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