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The impact of public R&D investments on patenting activity: technology transfer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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  • Albert N. Link
  • Cody A. Morris
  • Martijn van Hasselt

Abstract

This paper presents estimates of the impact of public R&D on patenting activity at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Using a time series of public sector agency data, we estimate the per-capita R&D elasticity of new patent applications using a knowledge production function framework model that is an expanded version of what other scholars have used with private sector data. New patent applications are an important step in the technology transfer activities of a federal agency. We estimate this elasticity to be about 2.0. This elasticity value represents an initial estimate of the impact of EPA’s R&D investments on its technology transfer activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert N. Link & Cody A. Morris & Martijn van Hasselt, 2019. "The impact of public R&D investments on patenting activity: technology transfer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(5), pages 536-546, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ecinnt:v:28:y:2019:i:5:p:536-546
    DOI: 10.1080/10438599.2018.1542772
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    5. Link, Albert N. & Siegel, Donald S. & Van Fleet, David D., 2011. "Public science and public innovation: Assessing the relationship between patenting at U.S. National Laboratories and the Bayh-Dole Act," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1094-1099, October.
    6. Adam B. Jaffe & Michael S. Fogarty & Bruce A. Banks, 1998. "Evidence from Patents and Patent Citations on the Impact of NASA and Other Federal Labs on Commercial Innovation," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 183-205, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dora Gicheva & Albert N. Link, 2022. "Public sector entrepreneurship, politics, and innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 565-572, August.
    2. Albert N. Link & Martijn Hasselt, 2020. "Exploring the impact of R&D on patenting activity in small women-owned and minority-owned entrepreneurial firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1061-1066, April.
    3. Albert N Link, 2021. "Knowledge Transfers from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(4), pages 576-581.
    4. María García-Vega & Óscar Vicente-Chirivella, 2020. "The effect of technology transfers from public research institutes and universities on firm innovativeness," Discussion Papers 2020-10, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    5. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2021. "Scientific publications at U.S. federal research laboratories," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(3), pages 2227-2248, March.
    6. García-Vega, María & Vicente-Chirivella, Óscar, 2024. "The role of public external knowledge for firm innovativeness," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    7. David Bruce Audretsch & Maksim Belitski & Rosa Caiazza, 2021. "Start-ups, Innovation and Knowledge Spillovers," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1995-2016, December.
    8. Audretsch, David B. & Belitski, Maksim, 2020. "The role of R&D and knowledge spillovers in innovation and productivity," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    9. Michael J. Hall, 2022. "New technology transfer metrics for the National Institute of Standards and Technology," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 1573-1583, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth

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