IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v95y2013i1d10.1007_s11192-012-0802-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Have Chinese firms learned from their prior technology in-licensing? An analysis based on patent citations

Author

Listed:
  • Jason Li-Ying

    (Technical University of Denmark)

  • Yuandi Wang

    (Sichuan University
    Technical University of Denmark)

  • Søren Salomo

    (Technical University of Denmark)

  • Wim Vanhaverbeke

    (Hasselt University
    Esade Business School)

Abstract

With the rapid rise of Chinese economy, now ranking as the second largest economy in the world in 2010, many Chinese firms have started taking technological lead in the global market. Nevertheless, whether Chinese firms have learned from their prior in-licensing technologies and accumulated technological capabilities in sustaining their economic growth remains underexplored. This paper aims to fill this void. Using a unique dataset containing the information on licensing for 83 large Chinese firms in the electronic sector during 2000–2004, we find that these firms have successfully learned from the international technologies that they previously licensed-in when subsequent patent citations made by these Chinese licensee firms to their licensed patents are used to identify these successful learners.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason Li-Ying & Yuandi Wang & Søren Salomo & Wim Vanhaverbeke, 2013. "Have Chinese firms learned from their prior technology in-licensing? An analysis based on patent citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(1), pages 183-195, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:95:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-012-0802-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-012-0802-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-012-0802-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-012-0802-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lee, Keun & Lim, Chaisung, 2001. "Technological regimes, catching-up and leapfrogging: findings from the Korean industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 459-483, March.
    2. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1992. "Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 383-397, August.
    3. Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg & Rebecca Henderson, 1993. "Geographic Localization of Knowledge Spillovers as Evidenced by Patent Citations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(3), pages 577-598.
    4. Hung, Shiu-Wan, 2009. "Development and innovation in the IT industries of India and China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 29-41.
    5. Hausman, Jerry & Hall, Bronwyn H & Griliches, Zvi, 1984. "Econometric Models for Count Data with an Application to the Patents-R&D Relationship," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(4), pages 909-938, July.
    6. Bronwyn H. Hall & Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg, 2001. "The NBER Patent Citation Data File: Lessons, Insights and Methodological Tools," NBER Working Papers 8498, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Narula, Rajneesh & Duysters, Geert, 2004. "Globalisation and trends in international R&D alliances," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 199-218.
    8. Gautam Ahuja & Riitta Katila, 2001. "Technological acquisitions and the innovation performance of acquiring firms: a longitudinal study," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 197-220, March.
    9. Mu, Qing & Lee, Keun, 2005. "Knowledge diffusion, market segmentation and technological catch-up: The case of the telecommunication industry in China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 759-783, August.
    10. Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-596, September.
    11. Geert Duysters & Jojo Jacob & Charmianne Lemmens & Yu Jintian, 2009. "Internationalization and technological catching up of emerging multinationals: a comparative case study of China's Haier group," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 18(2), pages 325-349, April.
    12. Shiu-Wan Hung & An-Pang Wang, 2010. "Examining the small world phenomenon in the patent citation network: a case study of the radio frequency identification (RFID) network," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 82(1), pages 121-134, January.
    13. Pitkethly, Robert H., 2001. "Intellectual property strategy in Japanese and UK companies: patent licensing decisions and learning opportunities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 425-442, March.
    14. Lee Fleming, 2001. "Recombinant Uncertainty in Technological Search," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 117-132, January.
    15. John Strauss & Edward Y. Qian & Minggao Shen & Dong Liu & Mehdi Majbouri & Qi Sun & Qianfan Ying & Yi Zhu, 2010. "Private-Sector Industrialization in China: Evidence from Wenzhou," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Keijiro Otsuka & Kaliappa Kalirajan (ed.), Community, Market and State in Development, chapter 16, pages 262-290, Palgrave Macmillan.
    16. Rebecca Henderson & Iain Cockburn, 1996. "Scale, Scope, and Spillovers: The Determinants of Research Productivity in Drug Discovery," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 27(1), pages 32-59, Spring.
    17. George Messinis, 2011. "Triadic citations, country biases and patent value: the case of pharmaceuticals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 89(3), pages 813-833, December.
    18. Narula, Rajneesh & Sadowski, Bert M., 1998. "Technological catch-up and strategic technology partnering in developing countries," Research Memorandum 001, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    19. Seongkyoon Jeong & Jae Young Choi & Jaeyun Kim, 2011. "The determinants of research collaboration modes: exploring the effects of research and researcher characteristics on co-authorship," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 89(3), pages 967-983, December.
    20. Xiaohui Liu & Jiangyong Lu & Igor Filatotchev & Trevor Buck & Mike Wright, 2010. "Returnee entrepreneurs, knowledge spillovers and innovation in high-tech firms in emerging economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(7), pages 1183-1197, September.
    21. Mathieu Ouimet & Nabil Amara & Réjean Landry & John Lavis, 2007. "Direct interactions medical school faculty members have with professionals and managers working in public and private sector organizations: A cross-sectional study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 72(2), pages 307-323, August.
    22. Dobson, Wendy & Safarian, A.E., 2008. "The transition from imitation to innovation: An enquiry into China's evolving institutions and firm capabilities," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 301-311, August.
    23. Lin, Ping & Liu, Zhuomin & Zhang, Yifan, 2009. "Do Chinese domestic firms benefit from FDI inflow?: Evidence of horizontal and vertical spillovers," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 677-691, December.
    24. YoungJun Kim & Nicholas S. Vonortas, 2006. "Determinants of technology licensing: the case of licensors," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 235-249.
    25. Mei-Chih Hu, 2011. "Evolution of knowledge creation and diffusion: the revisit of Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 88(3), pages 949-977, September.
    26. Dahlman, Carl J. & Ross-Larson, Bruce & Westphal, Larry E., 1987. "Managing technological development: Lessons from the newly industrializing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 759-775, June.
    27. M. Meyer & K. Debackere & W. Glänzel, 2010. "Can applied science be ‘good science’? Exploring the relationship between patent citations and citation impact in nanoscience," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 85(2), pages 527-539, November.
    28. Tsai, Kuen-Hung & Wang, Jiann-Chyuan, 2009. "External technology sourcing and innovation performance in LMT sectors: An analysis based on the Taiwanese Technological Innovation Survey," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 518-526, April.
    29. Liu, Xiaohui & Buck, Trevor, 2007. "Innovation performance and channels for international technology spillovers: Evidence from Chinese high-tech industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 355-366, April.
    30. Hobday, Mike, 1995. "East Asian latecomer firms: Learning the technology of electronics," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(7), pages 1171-1193, July.
    31. WHALLEY, John & XIN, Xian, 2010. "China's FDI and non-FDI economies and the sustainability of future high Chinese growth," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 123-135, March.
    32. Daniel Johnson, 2002. ""Learning-by-Licensing": R&D and Technology Licensing in Brazilian Invention," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(3), pages 163-177.
    33. William Lazonick, 2004. "Indigenous Innovation and Economic Development: Lessons from China's Leap into the Information Age," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 273-297.
    34. Show-Ling Jang & Yun-Chen Yu & Tzu-Ya Wang, 2011. "Emerging firms in an emerging field: an analysis of patent citations in electronic-paper display technology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 89(1), pages 259-272, October.
    35. Kim,Linsu & Nelson,Richard R. (ed.), 2000. "Technology, Learning, and Innovation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521770033.
    36. Katrak, Homi, 1989. "Imported technologies and R&D in a newly industrialising country : The experience of Indian enterprises," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 123-139, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yuan Zhou & Xin Li & Rasmus Lema & Frauke Urban, 2016. "Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe: Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisation," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(4), pages 476-491.
    2. Yuandi Wang & Nadine Roijakkers & Wim Vanhaverbeke, 2014. "How fast do Chinese firms learn and catch up? Evidence from patent citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(1), pages 743-761, January.
    3. Slavova, Kremena, 2023. "In-licensing university technology and firm innovation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    4. Fuyuki Yoshikane & Takafumi Suzuki, 2014. "Diversity of fields in patent citations: synchronic and diachronic changes," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(3), pages 1879-1897, March.
    5. Li-Ying, Jason & Mothe, Caroline & Nguyen, Thi Thuc Uyen, 2018. "Linking forms of inbound open innovation to a driver-based typology of environmental innovation: Evidence from French manufacturing firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 51-63.
    6. Yuandi Wang & Jason Li-Ying, 2014. "How do the BRIC countries play their roles in the global innovation arena? A study based on USPTO patents during 1990–2009," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(2), pages 1065-1083, February.
    7. Yuandi Wang & Xin Pan & Lutao Ning & Jian Li & Jin Chen, 2015. "Technology exchange patterns in China: an analysis of regional data," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 252-272, April.
    8. Jason Li-Ying & Caroline Mothe & Uyen Nguyen-Thi, 2018. "Linking forms of inbound open innovation to a driver-based typology of environmental innovation: Evidence from French manufacturing firms," Post-Print hal-01695525, HAL.
    9. Carlo Giglio & Roberto Sbragia & Roberto Musmanno & Roberto Palmieri, 2021. "Cross-country learning from patents: an analysis of citations flows in innovation trajectories," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(9), pages 7917-7936, September.
    10. Christodoulou, Demetris & Lev, Baruch & Ma, Le, 2018. "The productivity of Chinese patents: The role of business area and ownership type," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 107-124.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yuandi Wang & Xiongfeng Pan & Yantai Chen & Xin Gu, 2013. "Do references in transferred patent documents signal learning opportunities for the receiving firms?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(2), pages 731-752, May.
    2. Yuandi Wang & Nadine Roijakkers & Wim Vanhaverbeke, 2014. "How fast do Chinese firms learn and catch up? Evidence from patent citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(1), pages 743-761, January.
    3. Wang, Yuandi & Zhou, Zhao, 2013. "The dual role of local sites in assisting firms with developing technological capabilities: Evidence from China," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 63-76.
    4. Jason Li-Ying & Yuandi Wang & Lutao Ning, 2016. "How do dynamic capabilities transform external technologies into firms’ renewed technological resources? – A mediation model," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 1009-1036, December.
    5. Wu, Jianfeng & Shanley, Mark T., 2009. "Knowledge stock, exploration, and innovation: Research on the United States electromedical device industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 474-483, April.
    6. Li, Zhengyu, 2016. "Essays on knowledge sourcing and technological capability : A knowledge structure perspective," Other publications TiSEM b8ff31fc-c57b-4bc3-b5a4-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Feng Zhang & Guohua Jiang, 2019. "Combination of Complementary Technological Knowledge to Generate “Hard to Imitate” Technologies," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(02), pages 1-24, June.
    8. Yuzhe Miao & Robert M. Salomon & Jaeyong Song, 2021. "Learning from Technologically Successful Peers: The Convergence of Asian Laggards to the Technology Frontier," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(1), pages 210-232, January.
    9. Dibiaggio, Ludovic & Nasiriyar, Maryam & Nesta, Lionel, 2014. "Substitutability and complementarity of technological knowledge and the inventive performance of semiconductor companies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1582-1593.
    10. Yang, Hongyan & Steensma, H. Kevin, 2014. "When do firms rely on their knowledge spillover recipients for guidance in exploring unfamiliar knowledge?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1496-1507.
    11. Yuandi Wang & Zhao Zhou & Jason Li-Ying, 2013. "The impact of licensed-knowledge attributes on the innovation performance of licensee firms: evidence from the Chinese electronic industry," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 38(5), pages 699-715, October.
    12. Stefano Elia & Surender Munjal & Vittoria G. Scalera, 2020. "Sourcing Technological Knowledge Through Foreign Inward Licensing to Boost the Performance of Indian Firms: The Contingent Effects of Internal R&D and Business Group Affiliation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(5), pages 695-721, October.
    13. Chung-Jen Chen & Bou-Wen Lin & Jun-You Lin & Yung-Chang Hsiao, 2020. "Learning-from-parents: exploitative knowledge acquisition and the innovation performance of joint venture," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 228-258, February.
    14. Wang, Yuandi & Ning, Lutao & Chen, Jin, 2014. "Product diversification through licensing: Empirical evidence from Chinese firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 577-586.
    15. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/43aq8ffdqb82sbffkv69bt1eaa is not listed on IDEAS
    16. He, Xiyou & Mu, Qing, 2012. "How Chinese firms learn technology from transnational corporations: A comparison of the telecommunication and automobile industries," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 270-287.
    17. Zhang, Feng & Jiang, Guohua & Cantwell, John A., 2015. "Subsidiary exploration and the innovative performance of large multinational corporations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 224-234.
    18. Forman, Chris & van Zeebroeck, Nicolas, 2019. "Digital technology adoption and knowledge flows within firms: Can the Internet overcome geographic and technological distance?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(8), pages 1-1.
    19. Choi, Mincheol & Lee, Chang-Yang, 2021. "Technological diversification and R&D productivity: The moderating effects of knowledge spillovers and core-technology competence," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    20. Rajat Khanna & Isin Guler, 2022. "Degree assortativity in collaboration networks and invention performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(7), pages 1402-1430, July.
    21. Turanay Caner & Susan K. Cohen & Frits Pil, 2017. "Firm heterogeneity in complex problem solving: A knowledge-based look at invention," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(9), pages 1791-1811, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:95:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-012-0802-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.