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Is academic patenting detrimental to high quality research? An empirical analysis of the relationship between scientific careers and patent applications

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  • Mario Calderini

    (DSPEA, Polytechnic of Turin,)

  • Chiara Franzoni

    (University of Bergamo and CERIS (CNR),)

Abstract

Universities are increasingly concerned with patents and commercialization of internal research. One of the possible dangers of academic patenting is to divert researchers from long-term-oriented research and to delay the publication of results in open science. The question of unintended consequences of technology transfer and crowd-out effect is a critical issue when trying to foster technical change and ensure provision of top quality research in the long run. Nevertheless, little evidence has been provided until now to support either view. The aim of this paper is to search for evidence of rivalry between academic patenting and scientific research in a panel of 1323 researchers along 30 years. Drawing on bibliometrics, biographical and patent data of a sample of (tenured and untenured) publicly-funded researchers working in the fields of Engineering Chemistry and Nanotechnologies for New Materials, we implement two econometric models in order to understand if patenting and inventing is likely to affect the quantity and the quality of publications in a researcher’s career. Results show that the occurrence of a patent is positively associated with the quality of previous and the quantity of later scientific publications.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Calderini & Chiara Franzoni, 2004. "Is academic patenting detrimental to high quality research? An empirical analysis of the relationship between scientific careers and patent applications," KITeS Working Papers 162, KITeS, Centre for Knowledge, Internationalization and Technology Studies, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Oct 2004.
  • Handle: RePEc:cri:cespri:wp162
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pablo D’Este & Puay Tang & Surya Mahdi & Andy Neely & Mabel Sánchez-Barrioluengo, 2013. "The pursuit of academic excellence and business engagement: is it irreconcilable?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(2), pages 481-502, May.
    3. Meyer, Martin, 2006. "Are patenting scientists the better scholars?: An exploratory comparison of inventor-authors with their non-inventing peers in nano-science and technology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1646-1662, December.
    4. Katerina Sideri & Andreas Panagopoulos, 2018. "Setting up a technology commercialization office at a non-entrepreneurial university: an insider’s look at practices and culture," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 953-965, August.
    5. Albert Banal-Estañol & Inés Macho-Stadler & David Pérez-Castrillo, 2011. "Research Output from University-Industry Collaborative Projects," Working Papers 539, Barcelona School of Economics.
    6. Can Huang & Ad Notten & Nico Rasters, 2011. "Nanoscience and technology publications and patents: a review of social science studies and search strategies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 145-172, April.
    7. Nicola Baldini & Rosa Grimaldi & Maurizio Sobrero, 2007. "To patent or not to patent? A survey of Italian inventors on motivations, incentives, and obstacles to university patenting," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 70(2), pages 333-354, February.
    8. Rosell, Carlos & Agrawal, Ajay, 2009. "Have university knowledge flows narrowed?: Evidence from patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 1-13, February.
    9. Van Looy, Bart & Landoni, Paolo & Callaert, Julie & van Pottelsberghe, Bruno & Sapsalis, Eleftherios & Debackere, Koenraad, 2011. "Entrepreneurial effectiveness of European universities: An empirical assessment of antecedents and trade-offs," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 553-564, May.
    10. Antje Klitkou & Magnus Gulbrandsen, 2010. "The relationship between academic patenting and scientific publishing in Norway," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 82(1), pages 93-108, January.
    11. Seyed Reza Mirnezami & Catherine Beaudry & Vincent Larivière, 2016. "What determines researchers’ scientific impact? A case study of Quebec researchers," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 262-274.
    12. Paula Susana Figueiredo Moutinho & Margarida Fontes & Manuel Mira Godinho, 2007. "Do individual factors matter? A survey of scientists’ patenting in Portuguese public research organisations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 70(2), pages 355-377, February.
    13. Sandler , Daniil G. & Gladyrev, Dmitry A., 2020. "Factors influencing on extra budgetary income of leading Russian universities: econometric analysis," Economic Consultant, Roman I. Ostapenko, vol. 30(2), pages 36-47.
    14. Mario Calderini & Chiara Franzoni & Andrea Vezzulli, 2005. "If Star Scientist do no Patent: an Event History Analysis of Scientific Eminence and the Decision to Patent in the Academic World," UNIMI - Research Papers in Economics, Business, and Statistics unimi-1004, Universitá degli Studi di Milano.
    15. Carlos Rosell & Ajay Agrawal, 2006. "University Patenting: Estimating the Diminishing Breadth of Knowledge Diffusion and Consumption," NBER Working Papers 12640, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Dirk Czarnitzki & Katrin Hussinger & Cédric Schneider, 2012. "The nexus between science and industry: evidence from faculty inventions," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(5), pages 755-776, October.
    17. Larsen, Maria Theresa, 2011. "The implications of academic enterprise for public science: An overview of the empirical evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 6-19, February.
    18. Albert Banal-Estañol & Inés Macho-Stadler & David Pérez-Castrillo, 2013. "Research Output From University–Industry Collaborative Projects," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 27(1), pages 71-81, February.
    19. Beaudry, Catherine & Allaoui, Sedki, 2012. "Impact of public and private research funding on scientific production: The case of nanotechnology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1589-1606.
    20. Mei Hsiu-Ching Ho & John S. Liu & Max C.-H. Kuan, 2016. "Torn between Academic Publications and University–Industry Collaboration," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 151-160.
    21. Albert Banal-Estañol & Inés Macho-Stadler & David Pérez-Castrillo, 2011. "Research Output from University-Industry Collaborative Projects," Working Papers 539, Barcelona Graduate School of Economics.
    22. Lee Davis & Maria Larsen & Peter Lotz, 2011. "Scientists’ perspectives concerning the effects of university patenting on the conduct of academic research in the life sciences," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 14-37, February.
    23. Benedetto Torrisi, 2014. "A multidimensional approach to academic productivity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(3), pages 755-783, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    academic patenting; policy of research; technology transfer.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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