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Patents for evidence-based decision-making and smart specialisation

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Abstract

The article compares and contrasts different sets of patent-based indicators, traditionally used to assess countries’ technological capacities and specialisation. By doing that, we seek to determine how a chosen metric might affect the results of such an analysis, sometimes causing misleading conclusions on technological profiling. This goal is achieved with the statistical analysis of patent activity of the top-10 patenting economies. Findings indicate the need for policymakers to employ a complex of patent-related indicators when formulating technological specialisation strategies. Results also offer a taxonomy of technological capacities of the leading countries, which can further help understanding their current status and prospects for future progress. Thus, the paper might be of interest for researchers and analysts, which seek to offer methodological approaches and models to assess technological development of economies, as well as for policymakers governing the process.

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Acknowledgements

The article was prepared within the framework of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) and supported within the framework of a subsidy by the Russian Academic Excellence Project ‘5-100’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Pedro Zaccaria, 1300, Jardim Santa Luiza, Limeira, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Bruno Brandão Fischer

  2. Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Myasnitskaya Street 20, Moscow, Russian Federation, 101000

    Maxim Kotsemir, Dirk Meissner & Ekaterina Streltsova

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  1. Bruno Brandão Fischer
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Correspondence to Ekaterina Streltsova.

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Appendix: Technological profiles of the 10 studied countries

Appendix: Technological profiles of the 10 studied countries

See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of China in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 2
figure 2

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of the USA in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 3
figure 3

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of Japan in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 4
figure 4

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of the Republic of Korea in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 5
figure 5

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of Germany in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 6
figure 6

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of France in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 7
figure 7

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of Switzerland in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 8
figure 8

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of United Kingdom in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 9
figure 9

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of Netherlands in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image
Fig. 10
figure 10

Sources: Authors’ calculations based on data from WIPO IP Statistics Data Center https://www3.wipo.int/ipstats/index.htm. We take here “total count by applicant’s origin (equivalent count)” indicator as the measure of number of patent publications for each country. All calculations are done in June 2018

Technological profile of the Russian Federation in 2012–2016. Note. In pale grey colour, we highlight technological domains that are considered as technological capabilities of a country by at least one of the four indicators. In dark grey, we colour technological domains that appear as a country technological capabilities by all the four indicators.

Full size image

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Fischer, B.B., Kotsemir, M., Meissner, D. et al. Patents for evidence-based decision-making and smart specialisation. J Technol Transf 45, 1748–1774 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-019-09761-w

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