University Patenting and its Effects on Academic Research: the Emerging European Evidence

Aldo Geuna , Lionel Nesta (1)

1 OFCE - Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (Sciences Po)

This paper surveys the existing fragmentary data on the growth of university-owned patents and university-invented patents in Europe. We find evidence that university patenting is growing, but this phenomenon remains heterogeneous across countries and disciplines. We found some evidence that university licensing is not profitable for most universities, although some do succeed in attracting substantial additional revenues. This might be due to the fact that patents and publications tend to go hand in hand. In a dynamic setting however, we fear that the increase in university patenting exacerbates differences across universities in terms of financial resources and research outcome.

Mots clés: University patenting; University–industry relationships; Technology transfer; European universities

Domaines: Economies et finances

Aldo Geuna, Lionel Nesta. University Patenting and its Effects on Academic Research: the Emerging European Evidence. Research Policy, 2006, 35 (6), pp.790-807. ⟨10.1016/j.respol.2006.04.005⟩. ⟨hal-03417179⟩