“Wacky” Patents Meet Economic Indicators

in Economics Letters (2011)

We investigate whether standard indicators can distinguish between ‘‘wacky’’ patents and a control group. Forward citations are good predictors of importance. However, ‘‘wacky’’ patents have higher ... [more ▼]

We investigate whether standard indicators can distinguish between ‘‘wacky’’ patents and a control group. Forward citations are good predictors of importance. However, ‘‘wacky’’ patents have higher originality, generality and citation lags, suggesting that these indicators should be interpreted carefully. [less ▲]

Costs and Benefits of Inter-Departmental Innovation Collaboration

in Research Policy (2011)

Inter-departmental innovation collaboration facilitates innovation performance. At the same time, it has been identified as a source of increased coordination costs. Using organizational information ... [more ▼]

Inter-departmental innovation collaboration facilitates innovation performance. At the same time, it has been identified as a source of increased coordination costs. Using organizational information processing theory, this paper builds and tests hypotheses on the costs and benefits of innovation-related collaboration within firms. Based on a sample of 433 German manufacturing firms we show interdepartmental innovation collaboration to increase process innovation performance, but also to produce costs in terms of project delay and project termination. These costs, however, do not affect innovation performance at the firm level. This finding suggests firms to be well able to balance the costs and benefits of inter-departmental collaboration across their innovation project portfolio. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. [less ▲]

Exports versus FDI in German Manufacturing: Firm Performance and Participation in International Markets

in Review of World Economics (2010)

This paper tests some of the predictions of recent advances in trade theory that have focused on different trade patterns of firms within the same sector. Helpman, Melitz and Yeaple (2005) develop a model ... [more ▼]

This paper tests some of the predictions of recent advances in trade theory that have focused on different trade patterns of firms within the same sector. Helpman, Melitz and Yeaple (2005) develop a model in which innate productivity differences between firms determine the degree of international engagement of firms: The least productive firms produce for the domestic market, better performers engage in export activities, and the top firms establish foreign subsidiaries. Using German firm-level data from 1996 to 2002, we test this prediction using non-parametric methods, by examining the distribution functions of the three subsets of firms for stochastic dominance. Rather than just comparing first moments, this technique allows us to compare productivity over the entire distribution. Our results show robust support for the prediction from theory. [less ▲]

Why Challenge the Ivory Tower? New Evidence on the Basicness of Academic Patents

in Kyklos: Internationale Zeitschrift für Sozialwissenschaften (2009)

While often presumed in academic literature and policy discussions there is little empirical evidence showing that academic patents protectmore basic inventions than corporate patents. This study provides ... [more ▼]

While often presumed in academic literature and policy discussions there is little empirical evidence showing that academic patents protectmore basic inventions than corporate patents. This study provides new evidence on the basicness of academic patents using German professor patents linked to patent opposition data from the European Patent Office (EPO). Patent oppositions are the most important mechanism by which the validity of patents filed at the EPO can be challenged. Controlling for patent value, asymmetric information and diverging expectations between the opposition parties, the likelihood of a potentially litigious situation and the relative costs of opposition versus settlement, we find that academic patents are opposed less frequently than a control group of corporate patents.This suggests that academic patents cover rather basic inventions with a low immediate commercial value not threatening current returns of potential plaintiffs. The effect is weaker for academic patents filed in collaboration with the business sector, which suggests that those patents are evaluated as more applied by owners of potentially rival technologies. [less ▲]

R&D and Subsidies at the Firm Level: An Application of Parametric and Semi-Parametric Two-Step Selection Models

in Journal of Applied Econometrics (2008)

This paper analyzes the effect of public R&D subsidies on firms’ private R&D investment per employee and new product sales in German manufacturing. Parametric and semiparametric two-step selection models ... [more ▼]

This paper analyzes the effect of public R&D subsidies on firms’ private R&D investment per employee and new product sales in German manufacturing. Parametric and semiparametric two-step selection models are applied to this evaluation problem. The results show that the average treatment effect on the treated firms’ R&D intensity is positive. The estimated effects are robust with respect to the different selection models. Further results show that publicly induced R&D spending is as productive as private R&D investment in generating new product sales. [less ▲]

Patent and Publication Activities of German Professors: An Empirical Assessment of Their Co-Activity

in Research Evaluation (2007)

The growing importance of technology relevant non-publication output of university research has come into the focus of policy-makers’ interest. A fierce debate arose on possible negative consequences of ... [more ▼]

The growing importance of technology relevant non-publication output of university research has come into the focus of policy-makers’ interest. A fierce debate arose on possible negative consequences of the increasing commercialization of science, as it may come along with a reduction in research performance. This paper investigates the relationship between publishing as a measure of scientific output and patenting for German professors active in a range of science fields. We combine bibliometric/technometric indicators and econometric techniques to show that patenting positively correlates with the publication output and with publication quality of patenting researchers. [less ▲]

Export Behavior and Firm Productivity in German Manufacturing - A Firm-Level Analysis

in Review of World Economics (2005)

This paper examines the causal relationship between productivity and exporting in German manufacturing. We find a causal link from high productivity to presence in foreign markets, as postulated by a ... [more ▼]

This paper examines the causal relationship between productivity and exporting in German manufacturing. We find a causal link from high productivity to presence in foreign markets, as postulated by a recent literature on international trade with heterogeneous firms. We apply a matching technique in order to analyze whether the presence in international markets enables firms to achieve further productivity improvements, without finding significant evidence for this. We conclude that high-productivity firms self-select themselves into export markets, while exporting itself does not play a significant role for the productivity of German firms. [less ▲]