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Migration, innovation and technological diversion: German patenting after the collapse of the Soviet Union

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  • Ferrucci, Edoardo

Abstract

Recent migratory shocks call for in-depth, structured studies of both the benefits and drawbacks of these phenomena. Using records from the European Patent Office, this paper documents the influence of Soviet inventors that migrated to Germany following the collapse of the Soviet Union on the patent production of local inventors. The evidence points to an increase in patent production in the technology fields in which the Soviet Union was most active, and a tendency for local inventors who had directly collaborated with their Soviet counterparts to explore new technology domains.

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  • Ferrucci, Edoardo, 2020. "Migration, innovation and technological diversion: German patenting after the collapse of the Soviet Union," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(9).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:49:y:2020:i:9:s0048733320301359
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2020.104057
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    Cited by:

    1. Pellegrino, Gabriele & Penner, Orion & Piguet, Etienne & de Rassenfosse, Gaétan, 2023. "Productivity gains from migration: Evidence from inventors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(1).
    2. Fassio, Claudio & Igna, Ioana, 2021. "Foreign graduates in Sweden. The role of high tech sectors, STEM disciplines and cultural distance," Papers in Innovation Studies 2022/2, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    3. Matthias Niggli, 2023. "‘Moving On’—investigating inventors’ ethnic origins using supervised learning," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(4), pages 921-947.
    4. Matthias Niggli, 2023. "‘Moving On’—investigating inventors’ ethnic origins using supervised learning," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 23(4), pages 921-947.
    5. Leonardo Costa Ribeiro & Jorge Nogueira de Paiva Britto & Eduardo da Motta e Albuquerque, 2022. "The emergence of a Global Innovation System: an inter-temporal analysis through a network of networks," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG 645, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
    6. Matthias Niggli, 2022. "'Moving On' -- Investigating Inventors' Ethnic Origins Using Supervised Learning," Papers 2201.00578, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Knowledge diffusion; International migration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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