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The rush for patents in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Author

Listed:
  • Mario Benassi

    (University of Milan)

  • Elena Grinza

    (Politecnico di Torino)

  • Francesco Rentocchini

    (University of Milan)

Abstract

Our paper provides a novel and in-depth analysis of the technological trends, geographic distribution, and business-level dynamics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in the European Union from patent- and firm-level perspectives. We do so via the analysis of patents filed at the European Patent Office between 1985 and 2014. We employ a new matched patent-firm data set provided by the Bureau Van Dijk: ORBIS-IP. We find evidence of a surge in the patenting activity related to the 4IR in the past three decades, particularly in networked devices. Our results also suggest that firms filing 4IR patents have become progressively younger on average. At the same time, we find a steady growth in the average number of 4IR patent applications filed yearly by each company. Further variance decompositions show that the surge in 4IR patent applications is mainly explained by incumbent firms filing more 4IR patent applications over time, rather than new entrants progressively populating the 4IR world. Finally, we uncover a general trend emerging at the firm level, whereby firms tend to specialise in a few technological areas and avoid differentiation.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Benassi & Elena Grinza & Francesco Rentocchini, 2020. "The rush for patents in the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 47(4), pages 559-588, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolin:v:47:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s40812-020-00159-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s40812-020-00159-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mario Benassi & Elena Grinza & Francesco Rentocchini & Laura Rondi, 2020. "Going Revolutionary: The Impact of 4IR Technology Development on Firm Performance," SPRU Working Paper Series 2020-08, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    2. Igna, Ioana & Venturini, Francesco, 2023. "The determinants of AI innovation across European firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).
    3. Corvello, Vincenzo & Belas, Jaroslav & Giglio, Carlo & Iazzolino, Gianpaolo & Troise, Ciro, 2023. "The impact of business owners’ individual characteristics on patenting in the context of digital innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    4. Christoph March & Ina Schieferdecker, 2021. "Technological Sovereignty as Ability, Not Autarky," CESifo Working Paper Series 9139, CESifo.
    5. Stan Metcalfe, 2024. "Joseph Schumpeter, Alfred Marshall and the nature of restless capitalism," MIOIR Working Paper Series 2024-02, The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR), The University of Manchester.
    6. Mario Benassi & Elena Grinza & Francesco Rentocchini & Laura Rondi, 2022. "Patenting in 4IR technologies and firm performance [Robots and jobs: evidence from US labor markets]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(1), pages 112-136.
    7. Silvia Massini & Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo & Xiaoxiao Yu & Reza Salehnejad, 2024. "Digital transformation in firms: determinants of technology adoption and implications for performance," MIOIR Working Paper Series 2024-01, The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR), The University of Manchester.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fourth Industrial Revolution; Industry 4.0; Matched patent-firm data; Patent applications; EPO;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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