The idiosyncrasy and dynamism of technological innovation across industries: patent citation analysis

Abstract In general, the structural and behavioral patterns of technological innovation are idiosyncratic across industrial sectors and dynamic over time. Yet, despite voluminous amounts of previous research, patterns of innovation are hard to standardize or theorize. The objectives of this article are two-fold. One is to investigate distinctive and changing patterns of technological innovation across industries and observe dynamic trends over time. The other is to identify patterns of relationships among industries and examine the roles of respective industries. To this end, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) patent database was used and patent citation analysis applied. The idiosyncratic differences among industrial sectors are highlighted, especially between conventional manufacturing sectors and science-based sectors. We also found changing trends in technological knowledge flows across industries.

[1]  D. Mowery,et al.  Technological overlap and interfirm cooperation: implications for the resource-based view of the firm , 1998 .

[2]  K. Pavitt.  Sectoral Patterns of Technical Change : Towards a Taxonomy and a Theory : Research Policy , 1984 .

[3]  Yongtae Park,et al.  A Taxonomy of Industries Based on Knowledge Flow Structure , 1999 .

[4]  F. Malerba.  Sectoral systems of innovation and production , 2002 .

[5]  R. Tijssen.  Global and domestic utilization of industrial relevant science: patent citation analysis of science-technology interactions and knowledge flows , 2001 .

[6]  Mario A. Maggioni,et al.  Intersectoral innovation flows and national technological systems: network analysis for comparing Italy and Germany , 1996 .

[7]  Mary Ellen Mogee,et al.  Using Patent Data for Technology Analysis and Planning , 1991 .

[8]  Vangelis Souitaris,et al.  Technological trajectories as moderators of firm-level determinants of innovation , 2002 .

[9]  Stefano Usai,et al.  International patenting and national technological specialization , 1997 .

[10]  B. Carlsson,et al.  On the nature, function and composition of technological systems , 1991 .

[11]  Frederic M. Scherer,et al.  Inter-Industry Technology Flows in the United States : Research Policy , 1987 .

[12]  G. Dosi.  Technological Paradigms and Technological Trajectories: A Suggested Interpretation of the Determinants and Directions of Technical Change , 1982 .

[13]  Martin Zagler,et al.  Services, innovation and the new economy , 2002 .

[14]  Mark A. Schankerman,et al.  The Quality of Ideas: Measuring Innovation with Multiple Indicators , 1999 .

[15]  Mark Dodgson,et al.  The Handbook of Industrial Innovation , 1994 .

[16]  Vernon J. Richardson,et al.  Valuation effects of patent quality: A comparison for Japanese and U.S. firms , 2001 .

[17]  F. Narin,et al.  Patents as indicators of corporate technological strength , 1987 .

[18]  Manuel Trajtenberg,et al.  Market Value and Patent Citations: A First Look , 2000 .

[19]  Devendra Sahal,et al.  Technological guideposts and innovation avenues , 1993 .

[20]  M.M.S. Karki,et al.  Patent citation analysis: A policy analysis tool , 1997 .

[21]  J. A. Keizer,et al.  Explaining innovative efforts of SMEs.: An exploratory survey among SMEs in the mechanical and electrical engineering sector in The Netherlands , 2002 .

[22]  Z. Griliches.  Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: a Survey , 1990 .

[23]  J. Schumpeter,et al.  Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy , 1943 .