Are patents with multiple inventors from different countries a good indicator of international R&D collaboration? The case of ABB

Anna Bergek and Maria Bruzelius

Research Policy, 2010, vol. 39, issue 10, 1321-1334

Abstract: Based on the critical case of ABB, this paper questions the relevance of using patents with multiple inventors from different countries ("cross-country patents") as an indicator of international R&D collaboration. The study shows that less than half of ABB's cross-country patents are the result of international R&D collaboration as described by one of the more inclusive definitions found in previous literature. Only a third of the patents are the result of joint R&D activities between different MNC subsidiaries or firms. We also discuss the implications of our study for the assignment of patents to countries based on inventor addresses.

Keywords: Patent; data; R&D; collaboration; Cross-country; patents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

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