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When do firms get ideas from hiring PhDs?

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  • Buenstorf, Guido
  • Heinisch, Dominik P.

Abstract

Hiring new PhDs allows firms to access recent scientific advances. We develop new measures based on correlated topic models to estimate the similarity of patents and dissertations, and apply these measures to PhD-invented firm patents in the German laser industry. Patents are more exploratory for the firm if the underlying dissertation work is less similar to the firm’s prior knowledge stock. Patents filed prior to dissertation submission are more exploratory. PhD-invented patents did not become less exploratory when Germany adopted university ownership in academic inventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Buenstorf, Guido & Heinisch, Dominik P., 2020. "When do firms get ideas from hiring PhDs?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:49:y:2020:i:3:s0048733319302318
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2019.103913
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    Cited by:

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    2. Martínez, Catalina & Parlane, Sarah, 2023. "Academic scientists in corporate R&D: A theoretical model," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(5).
    3. Plantec, Quentin & Cabanes, Benjamin & le Masson, Pascal & Weil, Benoit, 2023. "Early-career academic engagement in university–industry collaborative PhDs: Research orientation and project performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(9).
    4. Quentin Plantec & Benjamin Cabanes & Pascal Le Masson & Benoit Weil, 2021. "Market-Pull Or Research Push? Effects Of Research Orientations On University-Industry Collaborative Ph.D. Projects' Performances," Post-Print halshs-03190142, HAL.
    5. Quentin Plantec & Benjamin Cabanes & Pascal Le Masson & Benoit Weil, 2023. "Caractérisation et performances des thèses Cifre," Working Papers hal-04099283, HAL.
    6. Tânia Pinto & Aurora A. C. Teixeira, 2020. "The impact of research output on economic growth by fields of science: a dynamic panel data analysis, 1980–2016," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 123(2), pages 945-978, May.

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