Migration and Innovation

Antonin Bergeaud, Max Deter, Maria Greve and Michael Wyrwich
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Michael Wyrwich: University of Groningen

No 2025002-I&O, Research Report from University of Groningen, FEB Research Institute (FEBRI)

Abstract: We investigate the causal relationship between inventor migration and regional innovation in the context of the large-scale migration shock from East toWest Germany between World War II and the construction of the Berlin Wallin 1961. Leveraging a newly constructed, century-spanning dataset on Germanpatents and inventors, along with an innovative identification strategy based onsurname proximity, we trace the trajectories of East German inventors and quantify their impact on innovation in West Germany. Our findings demonstrate a significant and persistent boost to patenting activities in regions with higher inflows of East German inventors, predominantly driven by advancements in chemistry and physics. We further validate the robustness of our identification strategy against alternative plausible mechanisms. We show in particular that the effect is stronger than the one caused by the migration of other high skilled workers and scientists.

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gro:rugfeb:2025002-i&o

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