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Under the Lens: The Geography of Optical Science as an Emerging Industry

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  • Maryann P. Feldman
  • Iryna Lendel

Abstract

Optical science is the study of light and the ways in which light interacts with matter. Although its origins coincide with the earliest scientific inquiry, modern optics is an enabling technology that is applied to a variety of intermediate markets—telecommunication equipment, medical devices, scientific instruments, semiconductors, imaging and reproduction, defense and security, and retail logistics. One difficulty in studying emerging technology is the limitation of current industrial categories and patent classes. This article examines the geography of optical science inventions using a new methodology that can be applied to study other emerging industries. We rely on companies that self‐identify as working on optics on the basis of their voluntary membership in the Optics Society of America. We investigate the inventive activity of these companies from 2004 to 2007 and identify a set of International Patent Classes that defines the emergent technology space in optical science. Using this definition, we then analyze all the organizations that are inventing in optical science. We find that inventive activity is geographically concentrated: patenting takes place in 240 urban areas, although 84 percent of the patents were invented in 30 metropolitan areas and almost 50 percent were attributed to 11 metropolitan areas. The article considers the organizations that are shaping the emerging technology and the consequences for geographic clusters. Our results reveal that the geographic distribution of inventive activity does not reflect the location of self‐designated regional optics clusters in the United States but suggests a more nuanced understanding of the emergence of industries. We conclude by considering lessons about the development of clusters in emerging industries.

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  • Maryann P. Feldman & Iryna Lendel, 2010. "Under the Lens: The Geography of Optical Science as an Emerging Industry," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 86(2), pages 147-171, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecgeog:v:86:y:2010:i:2:p:147-171
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1944-8287.2010.01068.x
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    3. Feldman, Maryann & Tavassoli, Sam, 2014. "Something New: Where do new industries come from?," Working Papers 2014/02, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Department of Industrial Economics.
    4. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2011. "Conceptualizing Cluster Evolution: Beyond the Life Cycle Model?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(10), pages 1299-1318, November.
    5. Anne Nygaard Tanner, 2014. "Regional Branching Reconsidered: Emergence of the Fuel Cell Industry in European Regions," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 90(4), pages 403-427, October.
    6. Melissa Haller & David L. Rigby, 2020. "The geographic evolution of optics technologies in the United States, 1976–2010," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(6), pages 1539-1559, December.
    7. Mark Lorenzen & Bo Carlsson, 2014. "Maryann Feldman: Recipient of the 2013 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 1-8, June.
    8. Margherita Russo & Annalisa Caloffi & Ana Colovic & Pasquale Pavone & Saverio Romeo & Federica Rossi, 2022. "Mapping regional strengths in a key enabling technology: The distribution of Internet of Things competences across European regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(4), pages 875-900, August.
    9. David Rigby, 2012. "The Geography of Knowledge Relatedness and Technological Diversification in U.S. Cities," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1218, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Oct 2012.
    10. Aithal, Sreeramana & L. M., Madhushree, 2019. "Information Communication & Computation Technology (ICCT) as a Strategic Tool for Industry Sectors," MPRA Paper 105619, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Marc Doussard & Greg Schrock & T William Lester, 2017. "Did US regions with manufacturing design generate more production jobs in the 2000s? New evidence on innovation and regional development," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(13), pages 3119-3137, October.
    12. Feldman, Maryann & Lowe, Nichola, 2015. "Triangulating regional economies: Realizing the promise of digital data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(9), pages 1785-1793.
    13. Markus Steen, 2016. "Reconsidering path creation in economic geography: aspects of agency, temporality and methods," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(9), pages 1605-1622, September.
    14. Margherita Russo & Annalisa Caloffi & Ana Colovic & Pasquale Pavone & Saverio Romeo & Federica Rossi, 2021. "Mapping the distribution of Internet of Things competences across European regions," Working Papers 57, Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research, revised Dec 2021.

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