Can Universities Profit from General Purpose Inventions?: The Case of Canadian Nanotechnology Patents

Ahmad Barirani; Catherine Beaudry; Bruno Agard

doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2017.01.021

Can Universities Profit from General Purpose Inventions? The Case of Canadian Nanotechnology Patents

Ahmad Barirani^*, Catherine Beaudry, Bruno Agard

^*Corresponding author for this work

Polytechnique Montréal

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The lack of control over downstream assets can hinder universities’ ability to extract rents from their inventive activities. We explore this possibility by assessing the relationship between invention generality and renewal decisions for a sample of Canadian nanotechnology patents. Our results show that general purpose inventions enjoy a longer legal life. Although private sector organizations renew their patents at a higher rate than universities, the gap between the two sectors decreases as invention generality increases. However, there is little indication that the most general purpose inventions owned by universities survive for longer than the ones owned by private sector organizations.

Original language	English
Journal	Technological Forecasting and Social Change
Volume	120
Pages (from-to)	271-283
Number of pages	13
ISSN	0040-1625
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.01.021
Publication status	Published - Jul 2017

Keywords

University-industry linkages
General purpose technologies
Nanotechnology
Technology transfer
Markets for technology
Complementary assets

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Cite this

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title = "Can Universities Profit from General Purpose Inventions?: The Case of Canadian Nanotechnology Patents",

abstract = "The lack of control over downstream assets can hinder universities{\textquoteright} ability to extract rents from their inventive activities. We explore this possibility by assessing the relationship between invention generality and renewal decisions for a sample of Canadian nanotechnology patents. Our results show that general purpose inventions enjoy a longer legal life. Although private sector organizations renew their patents at a higher rate than universities, the gap between the two sectors decreases as invention generality increases. However, there is little indication that the most general purpose inventions owned by universities survive for longer than the ones owned by private sector organizations.",

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T1 - Can Universities Profit from General Purpose Inventions?

T2 - The Case of Canadian Nanotechnology Patents

AU - Barirani, Ahmad

AU - Beaudry, Catherine

AU - Agard, Bruno

PY - 2017/7

Y1 - 2017/7

N2 - The lack of control over downstream assets can hinder universities’ ability to extract rents from their inventive activities. We explore this possibility by assessing the relationship between invention generality and renewal decisions for a sample of Canadian nanotechnology patents. Our results show that general purpose inventions enjoy a longer legal life. Although private sector organizations renew their patents at a higher rate than universities, the gap between the two sectors decreases as invention generality increases. However, there is little indication that the most general purpose inventions owned by universities survive for longer than the ones owned by private sector organizations.

AB - The lack of control over downstream assets can hinder universities’ ability to extract rents from their inventive activities. We explore this possibility by assessing the relationship between invention generality and renewal decisions for a sample of Canadian nanotechnology patents. Our results show that general purpose inventions enjoy a longer legal life. Although private sector organizations renew their patents at a higher rate than universities, the gap between the two sectors decreases as invention generality increases. However, there is little indication that the most general purpose inventions owned by universities survive for longer than the ones owned by private sector organizations.

KW - University-industry linkages

KW - General purpose technologies

KW - Nanotechnology

KW - Technology transfer

KW - Markets for technology

KW - Complementary assets

KW - University-industry linkages

KW - General purpose technologies

KW - Nanotechnology

KW - Technology transfer

KW - Markets for technology

KW - Complementary assets

U2 - 10.1016/j.techfore.2017.01.021

DO - 10.1016/j.techfore.2017.01.021

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85015849033

SN - 0040-1625

VL - 120

SP - 271

EP - 283

JO - Technological Forecasting and Social Change

JF - Technological Forecasting and Social Change

ER -