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The ownership of academic patents and their impact. Evidence from five European countries

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco Lissoni

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Fabio Montobbio

    (KITeS - Knowledge, Internationalization and Technology Studies - Università Bocconi)

Abstract

The paper compares the value and impact of academic patents in five European countries with different institutional frameworks: Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. An academic patent is defined as such when at least one university professor appears among its inventors, irrespective of ownership. Most academic patents are assigned to business companies, followed by universities, public research organizations, and individual inventors. The distribution of ownership across these categories (i) differ greatly across country, due to a combination of legal norms on ip and institutional features of the university system; (ii) and it is associated with the value of patents, as measured by forward citations. Company-owned academic patents tend to be as cited as non-academic ones, while university-owned tend to be less cited. Academic patents in the Netherlands are more cited than non-academic ones, irrespective of their ownership, while university-owned patents get fewer citations in both Denmark and Italy. We propose an explanation of these results based on the different autonomy enjoyed by universities in the countries considered. We also find that company-owned academic patents in Sweden get many fewer citations than non-academic. Individually-owned academic patents are more cited than non-academic patents similarly owned by their inventors.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Lissoni & Fabio Montobbio, 2015. "The ownership of academic patents and their impact. Evidence from five European countries," Post-Print hal-01135668, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01135668
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Giuliani, Elisa & Martinelli, Arianna & Rabellotti, Roberta, 2016. "Is Co-Invention Expediting Technological Catch Up? A Study of Collaboration between Emerging Country Firms and EU Inventors," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 192-205.
    2. Naseem, Anwar & Singla, Rohit, 2013. "Do Patent Citations Predict Market Value? The Case of Agricultural Biotechnology Patents," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150958, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Fabiano, Gianluca & Marcellusi, Andrea & Favato, Giampiero, 2021. "R versus D, from knowledge creation to value appropriation: Ownership of patents filed by European biotechnology founders," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Francesco Lissoni & Michele Pezzoni & Bianca Poti` & Sandra Romagnosi, 2013. "University Autonomy, the Professor Privilege and Academic Patenting: Italy, 1996--2007," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 399-421, July.
    5. Rossi, Federica & Fassio,Claudio & Geuna, Aldo, 2014. "The Role of Institutional Characteristics in Knowledge Transfer: A Comparative Analysis of Two Italian Universities," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201425, University of Turin.
    6. Caviggioli, Federico & De Marco, Antonio & Montobbio, Fabio & Ughetto, Elisa, 2020. "The licensing and selling of inventions by US universities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    7. Daniel Ljungberg & Evangelos Bourelos & Maureen McKelvey, 2013. "Academic Inventors, Technological Profiles and Patent Value: An Analysis of Academic Patents Owned by Swedish-Based Firms," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 473-487, July.
    8. Elena M. Tur & Evangelos Bourelos & Maureen McKelvey, 2022. "The case of sleeping beauties in nanotechnology: a study of potential breakthrough inventions in emerging technologies," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 69(3), pages 683-708, December.
    9. Gabriele Angori & Chiara Marzocchi & Laura Ramaciotti & Ugo Rizzo, 2024. "A patent-based analysis of the evolution of basic, mission-oriented, and applied research in European universities," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 609-641, April.
    10. Leila Tahmooresnejad & Catherine Beaudry, 2018. "Do patents of academic funded researchers enjoy a longer life? A study of patent renewal decisions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-22, August.
    11. Basheer Kalash & Sarah Guillou & Lionel Nesta & Michele Pezzoni, 2024. "Does Lab Funding Matter for the Technological Application of Scientific Research? An Empirical Analysis of French Labs," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 153, pages 39-76.
    12. Catalina Martinez & Lydia Bares, 2018. "The link between technology transfer and international extension of university patents: Evidence from Spain," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(6), pages 827-842.
    13. Francesco Lissoni & Fabio Montobbio, 2015. "The Ownership of Academic Patents and Their Impact. Evidence from Five European Countries," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 66(1), pages 143-171.
    14. Patrick S. W. Fong & Xuhua Chang & Qiang Chen, 2018. "Faculty patent assignment in the Chinese mainland: evidence from the top 35 patent application universities," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 69-95, February.
    15. Charlotta Dahlborg & Danielle Lewensohn & Rickard Danell & Carl Johan Sundberg, 2017. "To invent and let others innovate: a framework of academic patent transfer modes," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 538-563, June.
    16. Giovanni Cerulli & Giovanni Marin & Eleonora Pierucci & Bianca Potì, 2022. "Do company-owned academic patents influence firm performance? Evidence from the Italian industry," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 242-269, February.
    17. Isabel Cavalli & Charlie Joyez, 2021. "The Dynamics of French Universities in Patent Collaboration Networks," GREDEG Working Papers 2021-38, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    18. Lisa de Propris & Carlo Corradini, 2013. "Technology Platforms in Europe: An Empirical Investigation. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 34," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 46920, October.
    19. Halilem, Norrin & Amara, Nabil & Olmos-Peñuela, Julia & Mohiuddin, Muhammad, 2017. "“To Own, or not to Own?” A multilevel analysis of intellectual property right policies' on academic entrepreneurship," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1479-1489.
    20. Ferrucci, Edoardo & Lissoni, Francesco, 2019. "Foreign inventors in Europe and the United States: Diversity and Patent Quality," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    21. Corradini, Carlo & De Propris, Lisa, 2017. "Beyond local search: Bridging platforms and inter-sectoral technological integration," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 196-206.
    22. Francesco Lissoni, 2013. "Academic Patenting in Europe: A Reassessment of Evidence and Research Practices," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 379-384, July.
    23. Emmanuel PETIT & Anna TCHERKASSOF & Xavier GASSMANN, 2012. "Sincere Giving and Shame in a Dictator Game," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2012-25, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).

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    Keywords

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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
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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