IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ipt/iptwpa/jrc79397.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

International technology transfer between China and the rest of the world

Author

Abstract

We study the patterns and drivers of international technology transfer to and from China and the rest of the world. Our analysis makes use of patent-based measures of cross-border ownership of inventions. To quantify these technology flows, we a patent database providing a worldwide coverage of patents. We use a gravity model to explain the drivers of the international technology transfer. Although China exhibits a large deficit in international technology transfer, the flow of technology from abroad to China intensifies as its absorptive capacity grows. Excluding Taiwan, the US and China relationship dominates the technology transfer between China and the rest of the world. This is even more emphasised by the relatively weak position of Japan and other Asian countries in the process of technology exchange with China. This is result is not affected by the fact that the US acts mainly as an acquirer of Chinese technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuditta De Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2012. "International technology transfer between China and the rest of the world," JRC Research Reports JRC79397, Joint Research Centre, revised Nov 2012.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc79397
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC79397
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Walter Kuemmerle, 1999. "The Drivers of Foreign Direct Investment into Research and Development: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(1), pages 1-24, March.
    2. Suma Athreye & Sandeep Kapur, 2009. "The Internationalization of Chinese and Indian Firms: Trends, Motivations and Strategy," Birkbeck Working Papers in Economics and Finance 0904, Birkbeck, Department of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics.
    3. Head, Keith & Mayer, Thierry & Ries, John, 2010. "The erosion of colonial trade linkages after independence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 1-14, May.
    4. David J. Teece, 2008. "Technology Transfer By Multinational Firms: The Resource Cost Of Transferring Technological Know-How," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 1, pages 1-22, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Guellec, Dominique & Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno v., 2001. "The internationalisation of technology analysed with patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 1253-1266, October.
    6. repec:fth:harver:1473 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Luca De Benedictis & Lucia Tajoli, 2011. "The World Trade Network," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 1417-1454, August.
    8. repec:ipt:iptwpa:jrc66110 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 287-343, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Roman Boutellier & Oliver Gassmann & Maximilian Zedtwitz, 2008. "Managing Global Innovation," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-3-540-68952-2, July.
    11. Patel, Pari & Pavitt, Keith, 1997. "The technological competencies of the world's largest firms: Complex and path-dependent, but not much variety," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 141-156, May.
    12. Giuditta Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2014. "Global technological collaboration network: network analysis of international co-inventions," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 358-375, June.
    13. Jaeyong Song & Jongtae Shin, 2008. "The paradox of technological capabilities: a study of knowledge sourcing from host countries of overseas R&D operations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(2), pages 291-303, March.
    14. de la Tour, Arnaud & Glachant, Matthieu & Ménière, Yann, 2011. "Innovation and international technology transfer: The case of the Chinese photovoltaic industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 761-770, February.
    15. Bernhard Dachs & Georg Zahradnik, 2008. "Internationalisation of R&D in ICT," Springer Books, in: Huub Meijers & Bernhard Dachs & Paul J. J. Welfens (ed.), Internationalisation of European ICT Activities, chapter 0, pages 157-185, Springer.
    16. Yan Zhang & Haiyang Li & Michael A Hitt & Geng Cui, 2007. "R&D intensity and international joint venture performance in an emerging market: moderating effects of market focus and ownership structure," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(6), pages 944-960, November.
    17. Pari Patel & Keith Pavitt, 1991. "Large Firms in the Production of the World’s Technology: An Important Case of “Non-Globalisation”," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(1), pages 1-21, March.
    18. Bernhard Dachs & Andreas Pyka, 2010. "What drives the internationalisation of innovation? Evidence from European patent data," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 71-86.
    19. Picci, Lucio, 2010. "The internationalization of inventive activity: A gravity model using patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(8), pages 1070-1081, October.
    20. René Belderbos & Vincent Van Roy & Florence Duvivier, 2013. "International and domestic technology transfers and productivity growth: firm level evidence," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 22(1), pages 1-32, February.
    21. Suma Athreye & Sandeep Kapur, 2009. "Introduction: The internationalization of Chinese and Indian firms: trends, motivations and strategy," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 18(2), pages 209-221, April.
    22. John H Dunning, 1988. "The Eclectic Paradigm of International Production: A Restatement and Some Possible Extensions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(1), pages 1-31, March.
    23. Dunning, John H., 1994. "Multinational enterprises and the globalization of innovatory capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 67-88, January.
    24. Joan Penner‐Hahn & J. Myles Shaver, 2005. "Does international research and development increase patent output? An analysis of Japanese pharmaceutical firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 121-140, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kirchherr, Julian & Matthews, Nathanial, 2018. "Technology transfer in the hydropower industry: An analysis of Chinese dam developers’ undertakings in Europe and Latin America," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 546-558.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giuditta De Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2012. "Global R&D network. A network analysis of international R&D centres," JRC Research Reports JRC79478, Joint Research Centre, revised Nov 2012.
    2. Giuditta Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2014. "Global technological collaboration network: network analysis of international co-inventions," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 358-375, June.
    3. Giuditta De Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2012. "A framework for assessing innovation collaboration partners and its application to BRICs," JRC Research Reports JRC79395, Joint Research Centre, revised Nov 2012.
    4. Zofia GRÓDEK-SZOSTAK & Karolina KOTULEWICZ-WISIŃSKA & Małgorzata LUC, 2018. "International activity of the innovative enterprises – experience and recommendations," Eastern European Journal for Regional Studies (EEJRS), Center for Studies in European Integration (CSEI), Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM), vol. 4(2), pages 18-30, December.
    5. Jérôme Danguy, 2014. "Who collaborates with whom: the role of technological distance in international innovation," Working Papers TIMES² 2014-010, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. De Prato, Giuditta & Nepelski, Daniel, 2012. "A framework for assessing innovation collaboration partners and its application to India," MPRA Paper 39284, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Daniel Nepelski & Giuditta de Prato, 2014. "Identifying European Poles of Excellence: The Methodology," JRC Research Reports JRC85356, Joint Research Centre.
    8. Daniel Nepelski & Giuditta De Prato, 2012. "Does the Patent Cooperation Treaty work? A global analysis of patent applications by non-residents," JRC Research Reports JRC79541, Joint Research Centre, revised Nov 2012.
    9. Marina Papanastassiou & Robert Pearce & Antonello Zanfei, 2020. "Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: A review of the literature," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 623-664, June.
    10. Giuditta De Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2012. "International patenting strategies in ICT," JRC Research Reports JRC79479, Joint Research Centre, revised Nov 2012.
    11. Nepelski, Daniel & De Prato, Giuditta, 2011. "Internationalisation of ICT R&D in Asia vis a vis the world regions," MPRA Paper 39281, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Jérôme Danguy, 2017. "Globalization of innovation production: A patent-based industry analysis," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 75-94.
    13. Mafini Dosso & Antonio Vezzani, 2015. "Top R&D investors and international knowledge seeking: the role of emerging technologies and technological proximity," JRC Working Papers on Corporate R&D and Innovation 2015-09, Joint Research Centre.
    14. René Belderbos & Boris Lokshin & Bert Sadowski, 2015. "The returns to foreign R&D," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(4), pages 491-504, May.
    15. Sommer, Daniel & Bhandari, Krishna Raj, 2022. "Internationalization of R&D and Innovation Performance in the Pharma Industry," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3).
    16. Rakesh B. Sambharya & Jooh Lee, 2014. "Renewing Dynamic Capabilities Globally: An Empirical Study of the World’s Largest MNCs," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 137-169, April.
    17. Rene Belderbos & Bart Leten & Shinya Suzuki, 2009. "Does Excellence in Academic Research Attract Foreign R&D?," Global COE Hi-Stat Discussion Paper Series gd09-079, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    18. Michele Cincera & Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie & Veugelers Reinhilde, 2006. "Assessing the foreign control of production of technology: The case of a small open economy," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 66(3), pages 493-512, March.
    19. Gaétan de Rassenfosse & Russell Thomson, 2019. "R&D offshoring and home industry productivity," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(6), pages 1497-1513.
    20. Thomson, Russell, 2013. "National scientific capacity and R&D offshoring," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 517-528.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    international technology transfer; cross-border ownership of inventions; patent analysis; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc79397. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Publication Officer (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ipjrces.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.