The Uneven Regional Geography of Telecommunication Standard Essential Patents

Bernardo S. Buarque, Ronald B. Davies, Ryan M. Hynes and Gianluca Tarasconi

No 202508, Working Papers from School of Economics, University College Dublin

Abstract: This paper explores the role of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) in shaping technological development and regional innovation in Europe’s telecommunications sector. Results reveal strong geographic concentration, particularly in Helsinki and Stockholm, which account for one-third of multi-generation cellular network technology SEPs. Unlike other technologies, SEP distribution does not scale with population or prior technological expertise. Findings further suggest a winner-takes-all dynamic, where early SEP leadership reinforces future dominance, yet this advantage weakens across generations. The study offers new insights into standardization's spatial dynamics and underscores the need for long-term perspectives when modeling technological competition and diffusion.

Keywords: Standard essential patents (SEPs); Technological standardization; Cellular network & telecommunication technology; Geography of innovation; Evolutionary economic geography; Regional knowledge spaces (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L15 O34 R12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2025-04
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucn:wpaper:202508

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