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Australian Innovative Activity and Offshore Technology 1904 – 2016

Author

Listed:
  • Grant Fleming
  • Frank Liu
  • David Merrett
  • Simon Ville

Abstract

Australia has been a large consumer of patented offshore technology, which has led several authors to criticise the domestic innovation system. We deploy a new dataset of 1.4 million patent applications across a century to evaluate empirically this perspective. Our results reveal that Australians held an important though diminishing share of patents and indicate the shifting contribution among other nations. Using revealed technology advantage, we show that local patenting focussed on areas key to the growth of the Australian economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Grant Fleming & Frank Liu & David Merrett & Simon Ville, 2022. "Australian Innovative Activity and Offshore Technology 1904 – 2016," CEH Discussion Papers 09, Centre for Economic History, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:auu:hpaper:108
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    File URL: https://cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/CEH/WP202209.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation System; Patents; Revealed Technological Advantage; Australia; Natural Resources;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • N77 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Africa; Oceania

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