This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

The identification of important innovations using tail estimators

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Carolina Castaldi ()
Bart Los ()

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

International differences in economic performance are often attributed to differences in innovative performance. Much empirical work supports this contention, but problems in quantifying innovative output prevent researchers from drawing a clear picture. Innovations are very heterogeneous regarding their importance, with only very few innovations yielding substantial returns. Citation frequencies are one measure of the value of innovations. We use a recently introduced technique based on results from Extreme Value Theory to estimate the characteristics of the tail of the distribution of citations. We identify important innovations as those that receive a number of citations higher than the ‘cutoff point’ of the tail of the distributions of citations. The data come from the NBER Patent-Citations Database. We provide estimates of the proportions of important patents for 31 technological categories and discuss emerging patterns. Possible implications for technology policy and innovation management are also drawn.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.geo.uu.nl/isu/pdf/isu0807.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: Version February 2008
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Utrecht University, Department of Innovation Studies in its series Innovation Studies Utrecht (ISU) working paper series with number 08-07.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Feb 2008
Date of revision: Feb 2008
Handle: RePEc:uis:wpaper:0807

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://nwi.geo.uu.nl

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Floortje Alkemade).

Related research
Keywords:

Other versions of this item:

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports: This item is featured on the following reading lists:
  1. Technology Assessment
References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. F. M. Scherer & Dietmar Harhoff & J, rg Kukies, 2000. "Uncertainty and the size distribution of rewards from innovation," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 175-200. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Silverberg, G. & Verspagen, B., 2003. "Brewing the future: stylized facts about innovation and their confrontation with a percolation model," ECIS Working Papers 03.06, Eindhoven Centre for Innovation Studies, Eindhoven University of Technology. [Downloadable!]
  3. Utterback, James M & Abernathy, William J, 1975. "A dynamic model of process and product innovation," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 3(6), pages 639-656, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Dahlin, Kristina B. & Behrens, Dean M., 2005. "When is an invention really radical?: Defining and measuring technological radicalness," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 717-737, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Manuel Trajtenberg, 1990. "A Penny for Your Quotes: Patent Citations and the Value of Innovations," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 21(1), pages 172-187, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Silverberg, G. & Verspagen, B., 2004. "The size distribution of innovations revisited: an application of extreme value statistics to citation and value measures of patent significance," ECIS Working Papers 04.17, Eindhoven Centre for Innovation Studies, Eindhoven University of Technology. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Bulat Sanditov, 2005. "Patent Citations, the Value of Innovations and Path-Dependency," CESPRI Working Papers 177, CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Nov 2005. [Downloadable!]
  8. Jaffe, Adam B & Trajtenberg, Manuel & Henderson, Rebecca, 1993. "Geographic Localization of Knowledge Spillovers as Evidenced by Patent Citations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 108(3), pages 577-98, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Rosenberg, Nathan, 1969. "The Direction of Technological Change: Inducement Mechanisms and Focusing Devices," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 1-24, Part I Oc.
  10. Akkermans, Dirk & Castaldi, Carolina & Los, Bart, 2007. "Do ‘Liberal Market Economies’ Really Innovate More Radically than ‘Coordinated Market Economies’? Hall & Soskice Reconsidered," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-91, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen. [Downloadable!]
  11. Haupt, Reinhard & Kloyer, Martin & Lange, Marcus, 2007. "Patent indicators for the technology life cycle development," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 387-398, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg & Michael S. Fogarty, 2000. "Knowledge Spillovers and Patent Citations: Evidence from a Survey of Inventors," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 215-218, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? All top Economics journals are listed on RePEc.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-25.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.