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The role of firms’ characteristics, proximity, and territory in academic patenting: Evidence from the French healthcare field

Author

Listed:
  • Heman Khouilla

    (University of Toulon, Laboratoire d’Economie Appliquée au Développement (LEAD)
    University of Strasbourg - CNRS, Bureau d’Economie Théorique et Appliquée (BETA))

  • Sandrine Wolff

    (University of Strasbourg - CNRS, Bureau d’Economie Théorique et Appliquée (BETA))

  • David Reymond

    (University of Toulon, Institut Méditerranéen des Sciences de l’Information et de la Communication (IMSIC))

Abstract

Our paper analyzes science–industry (S-I) relations through the prism of firms’ academic patents, defined here as patents filed exclusively by firms and including at least one public researcher as an inventor. While previous research has mainly explored either other S-I linkages or the value of academic patents, this study focuses on the determinants of the occurrence of these patents in the healthcare field in France. Our contribution covers two main aspects. First, from a methodological point of view, we develop a method for identifying academic inventors using French data, following the “inventor-author” approach. This method is applied on a corpus of 3122 French priority patents belonging to the A61 international patent classification (IPC) and published in 2013. Second, our empirical results highlight the significant role of firm size, as SMEs are found to be suitable units for diffusing scientific knowledge through academic patents. Finally, our analysis adds empirical support to the decisive role of geographical proximity and territorial features, such as urban agglomerations, in shaping the dynamics of S-I links. These results are of great interest for innovation and science policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Heman Khouilla & Sandrine Wolff & David Reymond, 2026. "The role of firms’ characteristics, proximity, and territory in academic patenting: Evidence from the French healthcare field," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 1-37, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joevec:v:36:y:2026:i:1:d:10.1007_s00191-025-00934-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00191-025-00934-5
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    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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