Abstract
This paper gives an overview of quantitative approaches used to study the science/technology linkage. Our discussion is informed by a number of theoretical approaches that have emerged over the past few years in the area of innovation studies emphasizing the exchange of actors in innovation system and a shift in the division of labour between publicly funded basic research and industrial development of technology. We review the more quantitative literature on efforts made to study such linkage phenomena, to which theorizing in the science policy area has attributed great importance. We then introduce a typology of three approaches to study the science/technology linkage - patent citation, industrial science, and university patenting. For each approach, we shall discuss merits and possible disadvantages. In another step we illustrate them using results from studies of the Finnish innovation system. Finally, we list key limitations of the informetric methods and point to possible hybrid approaches that could remedy some of them.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Archibugi, D., Pianta, M. (1996), Measuring technological change through patents and innovation surveys, Technovation, 16 (9): 451–468.
Arundel, A., Smith, K., Patel, P., Sirilli, G. (1998), The Future of Innovation Measurement in Europe–Concepts, Problems and Practical Directions, IDEA-report 3/1998. Step Group, Oslo, Norway, 5–6.
Carpenter, M. P., Narin, F. (1983), Validation study: Patent citations as indicators of science and foreign dependence, World Patent Information, 5 (3): 180–185.
Coward, H. R., Franklin, J. J. (1989), Identifying the science-technology interface: Matching patent data to a bibliometric model, Science, Technology and Human Values, 14: 50–77.
Decarolis, D. M., Leeds, D. L. (1999), The impact of stock and flows of organizational knowlegde on firm performance: An empirical investigation of the biotechnology industry, Strategic Management Journal, 20: 953–968.
Etzkowitz, H., Leydesdorff, L. (2000), The dynamics of innovation: from national systems and “Mode 2” to a triple helix of university-industry-government relations, Research Policy, 29: 109–123.
Etzkowitz, H., Webster, A., Healey, P. (Eds), (1998), Capitalizing Knowledge: New Intersections of Industry and Academia, Albany: SUNY Press.
Geisler, E. (2000), The Metrics of Science and Technology, Wesport CT and London: Quorum.
Gibbons, M. et al, (1994), The New Production of Knowledge, Sage: London.
Godin, B., Gingras, Y. (2000), Impact of collaborative research on academic science, Science and Public Policy, 27: 65–73.
Godin, B. (1993), The Relationship between Science and Technology: A Bibliometric Analysis of Papers and Patents in Innovative Firms, Unpublished D Phil thesis. University of Sussex.
Godin, B. (1995), Research and the practice of publication in industries, Research Policy, 25: 587–606.
Granberg, A. (1996), On the pursuit of systemic technology policies in an unstable environment: reflections on a Swedish case, Research Evaluation, 6: 143–157.
Grupp, H. (1992), Dynamics of Science-based Innovation, Berlin: Springer. 371 p.
Grupp, H., Schmoch, U. (1992), Perceptions of scientification of innovation as measured by referencing between patents and papers: Dynamics in science-based fields of technology. In: H. Grupp (1992) pp. 73–128.
Henderson, R., Jaffe, A. B., Trajtenberg, M. (1998), Universities as a source of commercial technology: A detailed analysis of university patenting, 1965–1988, The Review of Economics and Statistics, 13: 119–127.
Hicks, D., Katz, S. (1996), Systemic bibliometric indicators for the knowledge-based economy, Conference on New S&T Indicators for the Knowledge-Based Economy, OECD, Paris, 19–21 June.
Hicks, D. (1995), Published papers, tacit competencies and corporate management of the public/private character of knowledge, Industrial and Corporate Change, 4: 401–424.
Hicks, D., Breitzman, T., Olivastro, D., Hamilton, K. (2001), The changing composition of innovative activity in the US–a portrait based on patent analysis, Research Policy, 30: 681–703.
Jaffe, A., Henderson, R., Trajtenberg, M. (1993), Geographic localization of knowledge spillovers as evidenced by patent citations, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 108: 577–598.
Katz, J. S., Hicks, D. M. (1996), A systemic view of British Science, Scientometrics, 35: 133–154.
Kealey, T. (1998), Why science is endogenous: a debate with Paul David (and Ben Martin, Paul Romer, Chris Freeman, Luc Soete and Keith Pavitt), Research Policy, 26: 897–923.
Landry, R., Traore, N., Godin, B. (1996), An econometric analysis of the effect of collaboration on academic research productivity, Higher Education, 32: 283–301.
Lanjouw, J., Pakes, A., Putnam, J. (1996), How to Count Patents and Value Intellectual Property: Uses of Patent Renewal and Application Data, NBER paper series.
Lundvall, B. A. (Ed.) (1992), National Innovation Systems: Towards a Theory of Innovation and Interactive Learning. Pinter: London.
Malerba, F., Orsenigo, L. (2000), Research Policy, 29: 1187–1188.
Meyer, M. (2000a), What is special about patent citations? Differences between scientific and patent citations, Scientometrics, 49: 93–123.
Meyer, M. (2000b), Patent Citation Analysis as a Policy Planning Tool. The IPTS Report.
Meyer, M. (2001), Patent citation analysis in a novel field of technology, Scientometrics, 51: 163–183.
Meyer, M. (2001a), Between Technology and Science: Exploring an Emerging Field–Knowledge Flows and Networking on the Nano-scale, Doctoral dissertation, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
Moed, H. F. (1996), Differences in the construction of SCI based bibliometric indicators among various producers: A first overview, Scientometrics; 35: 177–191.
Napolitano, G., Sirilli, G. (1990), The patent system and the exploitation of inventions: results of a statistical survey conducted in Italy, Technovation, 10: 5–16.
Narin, F., Olivastro, D. (1998), Linkage between patents and papers: An interim EPO/US comparison, Scientometrics, 41: 51–59.
Narin, F., Hamilton, K. S., Olivastro, D. (1997), The increasing linkage between US technology and public science, Research Policy, 26: 317–330.
Nelson, R. R. (1993), National Innovation Systems–A Comparative Analysis, Oxford University Press.
Noyons, E. (1994), Bibliometric Cartography of Scientific and Technological Developments of an R & D Field: The Case of Optomechatronics
Noyons, E., Van raan, A. F. J., Grupp, H., Schmoch, U. (1994), Exploring the Science and Technology Interface: Inventor-author Relations in Laser Medicine Research.
OECD (1997). National Innovation Systems. Paris.
Paci, R., Sassu, A., Usai, S. (1997), International patenting and national technological specialization, Technovation, 17: 25–38.
Patel, P., Pavitt, K. (1997), The technological competencies of the world's largest firms: complex and path-dependent, but not much variety, Research Policy, 26: 141–156.
Patel, P. (1998), Indicators for Systems of Innovation and System Interaction–Technological Collaboration and Inter-active Learning, IDEA report 11/1998.
Pavitt, K. (1997,1998), Do Patents Reflect the Useful Research Output of Universities? SPRU: Electronic Working Papers Series, No.6. To republished in Research Evaluation.
Persson, O. (2000), Studying National Innovation Systems Using Papers and Patents–Methods and Examples, Nutek.
Persson, O., Luukkonen, T., HÄlikkÄ, S. (2000), A Bibliometric Study of Finnish Science. VTT Group for Technology Studies, Espoo. Working paper # 48.
Porter, M. E., Stern, S. (1999), The New Challenge to America's Prosperity: Findings from the Innovation Index, Council on Competitiveness, Washington DC.
Price, D. S. (1965), Is technology historically independent of science? A study in statistical historiography, Technology and Culture, 6: 553–568.
Rogers, E. M. (1987), Progress, problems and prospects for network research: Investigating relationships in the age of electronic communication technologies, Social Networks, 9: 285–310.
Rosenbloom, R. S. (2000), Letter to the editor, Research Policy, 29: 1185.
Scherer, F. M. (1999), New Perspectives on Economic Growth and Technological Innovation, British-North American Committee Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC.
Schmoch, U. (1993), Tracing the knowledge transfer form science to technology as reflected in patent indicators, Scientometrics, 26: 193–211.
Schmoch, U. (1997), Indicators and the relationships between science and technology, Scientometrics, 38: 103–116.
Senker, J., Faulkner, W., Velho, L. (1998), Science and technology knowledge flows between industrial and academic research: a comparative study. In: Etzkowitz, H., Webster, A., Healey, P. (Eds), Capitalizing Knowledge: New Intersections of Industry and Academia, Albany: SUNY Press, pp. 111–132.
Sirilli, G. (1998), Conceptualising and Measuring Technological Innovation, IDEA Report 1: 3.
Smith, K. (Ed.) (1998), Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators–A Guide for Policy-Makers, IDEA Report 5.
Tijssen, R. J. W., Buter, R. K., Van leeuwen, TH. N. (2000), Technological relevance of science: An assessment of citation linkages between patents and research papers, Scientometrics; 47: 389–412.
Van Raan, A. F. J (1997), Scientometrics: State-of-the-art, Scientometrics, 38: 205–218.
Verbeek, A., Debackere, K., Luwel, M., Van Looy, B., Andries, P., Van Hulle, M., Deleus, F. (2000), Linking Science to Technology–Using Bibliographic Refereces in Patents to Build Linkage Schemes, Positioning Paper, R&D Division INCENTIM, KU, Leuven.
Wallmark, J. T. (1997), Inventions and patents at universities: the case of Chalmers university of technology, Technovation, 17: 127–139.
Wallmark, J., Mcqueen, D., Sedig, K. (1988), Measurement of output from university research: A case study, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 35: 175–180.
Ziman, J. (1994), Prometheus Bound: Science in a Dynamic Steady State, Cambridge UP.
Zitt, M., BarrÉ, R., Sigogneau, A., Laville, F. (1999), Territorial concentration and evolution of science and technology activities in the European Union: a descriptive analysis, Research Policy, 28: 545–562.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meyer, M. Tracing knowledge flows in innovation systems. Scientometrics 54, 193–212 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016057727209
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016057727209