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The decline of university patenting and the end of the Bayh–Dole effect

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  • Loet Leydesdorff

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Martin Meyer

    (University of Sussex
    Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)

Abstract

University patenting has been heralded as a symbol of changing relations between universities and their social environments. The Bayh–Dole Act of 1980 in the USA was eagerly promoted by the OECD as a recipe for the commercialization of university research, and the law was imitated by a number of national governments. However, since the 2000s university patenting in the most advanced economies has been on the decline both as a percentage and in absolute terms. In addition to possible saturation effects and institutional learning, we suggest that the institutional incentives for university patenting have disappeared with the new regime of university ranking. Patents and spin-offs are not counted in university rankings. In the new arrangements of university–industry–government relations, universities have become very responsive to changes in their relevant environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Loet Leydesdorff & Martin Meyer, 2010. "The decline of university patenting and the end of the Bayh–Dole effect," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 83(2), pages 355-362, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:83:y:2010:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-009-0001-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0001-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Loet Leydesdorff & Duncan Kushnir & Ismael Rafols, 2014. "Interactive overlay maps for US patent (USPTO) data based on International Patent Classification (IPC)," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(3), pages 1583-1599, March.
    2. Yong-Gil Lee, 2012. "Strengthening competency linkage to innovation at Korean universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(1), pages 219-230, January.
    3. Ruoying Zhou & Ning Baines, 2024. "To what extent do universities’ formal and informal knowledge exchange activities interact: evidence from UK HE-BCI survey," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 1145-1175, August.
    4. Thomas Walter & Christoph Ihl & René Mauer & Malte Brettel, 2018. "Grace, gold, or glory? Exploring incentives for invention disclosure in the university context," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(6), pages 1725-1759, December.
    5. Chávez-Bustamante, Felipe & Rojas-Mora, Julio & Wong, Sulan, 2024. "Balancing act: Navigating the tensions between patenting practices and open science in Chilean academic research," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. David Minguillo & Mike Thelwall, 2015. "Which are the best innovation support infrastructures for universities? Evidence from R&D output and commercial activities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(1), pages 1057-1081, January.
    7. Liming Liang & Lixin Chen & Yishan Wu & Junpeng Yuan, 2012. "The role of Chinese universities in enterprise–university research collaboration," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(1), pages 253-269, January.
    8. Hong Gong & Shan Peng, 2018. "Effects of patent policy on innovation outputs and commercialization: evidence from universities in China," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(2), pages 687-703, November.
    9. Xia Gao & Xi Guo & Jiancheng Guan, 2014. "An analysis of the patenting activities and collaboration among industry-university-research institutes in the Chinese ICT sector," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(1), pages 247-263, January.
    10. Alireza Noruzi & Mohammadhiwa Abdekhoda, 2012. "Mapping Iranian patents based on International Patent Classification (IPC), from 1976 to 2011," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 93(3), pages 847-856, December.
    11. Motohashi, Kazuyuki & Muramatsu, Shingo, 2012. "Examining the university industry collaboration policy in Japan: Patent analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 149-162.
    12. Henry Etzkowitz, 2013. "Mistaking dawn for dusk: quantophrenia and the cult of numerology in technology transfer analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 97(3), pages 913-925, December.
    13. Laxmi Prasad Pant, 2019. "Responsible innovation through conscious contestation at the interface of agricultural science, policy, and civil society," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 183-197, June.
    14. Ятлук Л. Ю., 2020. "Стратегии И Тактики Адаптации Ученых В Условиях Перехода К Предпринимательскому Университету," Вопросы образования // Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 4, pages 165-192.
    15. Loet Leydesdorff & Martin Meyer, 2013. "A reply to Etzkowitz’ comments to Leydesdorff and Martin (2010): technology transfer and the end of the Bayh–Dole effect," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 97(3), pages 927-934, December.
    16. Elvira Cerver Romero & João J. M. Ferreira & Cristina I. Fernandes, 2021. "The multiple faces of the entrepreneurial university: a review of the prevailing theoretical approaches," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1173-1195, August.
    17. Lidia Yatluk, 2020. "Strategies and Tactics of Academics in the Context of Transition toward the Entrepreneurial University," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 4, pages 165-192.
    18. Hyejin Jung & Byung-Keun Kim, 2018. "Determinant factors of university spin-off: the case of Korea," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(6), pages 1631-1646, December.
    19. Dalmarco, Gustavo & Hulsink, Willem & Blois, Guilherme V., 2018. "Creating entrepreneurial universities in an emerging economy: Evidence from Brazil," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 99-111.
    20. Domingo Sifontes & Rosa Morales, 2020. "Gender differences and patenting in Latin America: understanding female participation in commercial science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2009-2036, September.
    21. Zhang, Yi & Chen, Kaihua & Fu, Xiaolan, 2019. "Scientific effects of Triple Helix interactions among research institutes, industries and universities," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 86, pages 33-47.
    22. Suominen, Arho & Deschryvere, Matthias & Narayan, Rumy, 2023. "Uncovering value through exploration of barriers - A perspective on intellectual property rights in a national innovation system," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    23. Hülya Ünlü & Serdal Temel & Kristel Miller, 2023. "Understanding the drivers of patent performance of University Science Parks in Turkey," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 842-872, June.

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