Social progress and international patent collaboration

This study focuses on how international patent collaboration (IPC) influences social development at the country level. Although researchers have traditionally stressed the effects of IPC on countries' technological development, there are indications that it can also have important social effects. In this context, this paper provides an empirical evaluation of the influence of different types of patents (i.e., patents invented abroad and patents invented in the focal country by foreign researchers) on the Social Progress Index. Using panel data on a sample of 35 OECD countries over the period 2009–2016, the results support the conclusion that different types of IPC may have different implications for countries' social development. The findings also show that patents invented abroad have a positive influence on those aspects of social progress related to personal rights, freedom and choice, tolerance and advanced education, more than on basic human needs. Overall, this paper is relevant for policy making with regard to the type of IPC that is most beneficial in terms of social impact.