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Towards Measuring Disruptive Innovation Across Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Rutzer
  • Dragan Filimonovic
  • Jeffrey T. Macher
  • Rolf Weder

Abstract

The CD index is a widely used measure of disruptive inventions. Most studies compute it using USPTO data. This creates a puzzle because the US appears less disruptive than European and Asian countries. We show that this largely stems from missing international citations. Using a global citation network, we quantify and correct this bias. The disruptiveness advantage of non-US inventors drops by 64% to 148% of the US baseline mean. The US emerges as a disruption leader over Europe, with Asia's advantage substantially reduced. Globally integrated citation data are essential for credible measurement of disruptive innovation in international contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Rutzer & Dragan Filimonovic & Jeffrey T. Macher & Rolf Weder, 2026. "Towards Measuring Disruptive Innovation Across Countries," Papers 2603.17881, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2603.17881
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    References listed on IDEAS

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