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Issues in measuring the degree of technological specialisation with patent data

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  • Nicolas van Zeebroeck
  • Bruno Van Pottelsberghe
  • Wook Han

Abstract

This paper analyses several issues that arise when measuring technological specialisation with patent data. Three starting choices are required regarding the data source, the statistical measure and the sectoral aggregation level. We show that the measure is highly sensitive to the data source and to the level of sectoral aggregation. The statistical analysis further suggests that the most stable and reliable measures of technological specialization are obtained with patents applied at the EPO, with Gini or C20 as statistical measure and the 4-digits aggregation level of the IPC classification system.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolas van Zeebroeck & Bruno Van Pottelsberghe & Wook Han, 2005. "Issues in measuring the degree of technological specialisation with patent data," Working Papers CEB 05-016.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:05-016
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:fth:harver:1473 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Eleftherios Sapsalis & Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, 2007. "The Institutional Sources Of Knowledge And The Value Of Academic Patents," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 139-157.
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    5. Sapsalis, Elefth?rios & Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno van, 2003. "The Sources of Knowledge and the Value of Academic Patents," IIR Working Paper 03-24, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    6. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 287-343, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technological specialisation; patent data; patents statistics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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