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Inter-firm inventor mobility and the role of co-inventor networks in producing high-impact innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Gergő Tóth

    (Hungarian Academy of Sciences
    University College Dublin)

  • Balázs Lengyel

    (Hungarian Academy of Sciences
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    International Business School Budapest)

Abstract

Inter-firm mobility of inventors is a major source of embodied knowledge transfer and receiving firms enjoy additional benefits from the collaboration networks of mobile inventors. However, there is still limited understanding on how the firm can maximize the impact of incoming inventors and what structure of co-inventor networks is the most beneficial for that. To answer this question, we construct a weighted and time-decayed co-inventor network from all IT-related patents in the harmonized OECD PATSTAT 1977–2010 database and analyze events of inter-firm inventor mobility. We look at the future impact of firm innovation and isolate the effect of mobile inventors’ network characteristics from the characteristics of the collaboration network in the receiving firm. Our results imply that high-impact innovations are produced if the firm hires broker inventors who have diverse networks and thus has the potential to channel a wide pool of knowledge into the firm. We find evidence that cohesive networks within the firm, measured by small world characteristics, exaggerate the effect of incoming brokers and high-impact inventors.

Suggested Citation

  • Gergő Tóth & Balázs Lengyel, 2021. "Inter-firm inventor mobility and the role of co-inventor networks in producing high-impact innovation," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 117-137, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:46:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10961-019-09758-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-019-09758-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Abbasiharofteh, Milad & Kogler, Dieter F. & Lengyel, Balázs, 2023. "Atypical combinations of technologies in regional co-inventor networks," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 52(10), pages 1-1.
    2. Hidalgo, César A., 2023. "The policy implications of economic complexity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(9).
    3. Varshney, Mayank & Jain, Amit, 2023. "Technology acquisition following inventor exit in the biopharmaceutical industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    4. Varshney, Mayank & Jain, Amit, 2023. "Understanding “reverse” knowledge flows following inventor exit in the semiconductor industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    5. C'esar A. Hidalgo, 2022. "The Policy Implications of Economic Complexity," Papers 2205.02164, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2023.
    6. Fang Han & Sejun Yoon & Nagarajan Raghavan & Hyunseok Park, 2022. "Investigating Company’s Technical Development Directions Based on Internal Knowledge Inheritance and Inventor Capabilities: The Case of Samsung Electronics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Network constraint; Small world network; Patent citations; Predicted margins;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • J69 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Other
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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