The R&D-patent relationship: An industry perspective

This paper aims at contributing to the literature on the relationship between research efforts and patent counts. It is claimed that the "propensity-to-patent" should be split into an "appropriability propensity" and a "strategic propensity". The empirical contribution is based on a unique panel dataset composed of 18 industries in 19 countries over 19 years, and relies on five alternative patent indicators. The results confirm that the distinction between the two types of propensity matter. The sharp increase in patenting observed in most patent offices seems to be due to greater internationalization of patents rather than to a burst in innovations.