Effects of Patent Policy on Outputs and Commercialization of Academic Patents in China: A Spatial Difference-in-Differences Analysis

Jiafeng Gu

doi:10.3390/su132313459

Abstract

The development of a difference-in-differences estimator is a new move in patent policy evaluation research. However, such an estimator neglects the possibility that academic patent activities follow a spatial autoregressive process with respect to the dependent variable. The objective of this study was to propose a spatial difference-in-differences estimator accounting for possible spatial spillover effects. In this study, an empirical analysis of a sample of 31 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2019 indicates that an incentive patent policy has a positive impact on the output and commercialization of academic patents, with positive effects also spilling over into neighboring provinces. This study further found that incentive patent policies play a placebo role in academic patent activities. Provincial patent policies are merely a proxy for other variables that characterize the systemic differences between provinces that implement patent policies and those that do not. Therefore, the promotion of academic patent activities cannot be attributed to policy incentives.

Highlights

Difference-in-Differences Analysis.Technological progress is the eternal power and source of sustainable development [1].The transformation of scientific and technological achievements, including patented technologies, integrates science and technology with the three major ecosystems of society, economy, and ecology and is a key link in the realization of economic transformation and sustainable development [2,3]
The effect of scientific and technological innovation on sustainable development is mainly reflected in the promotion of economic growth [4] and the evolution of social patterns [5], as well as the protection of the ecological environment and the conservation of resources [6], which has continuously promoted the sustainable development of the economy, society, and natural systems
This study found that an incentive patent policy has a positive impact on the output and commercialization of academic patents

Summary

Introduction

The transformation of scientific and technological achievements, including patented technologies, integrates science and technology with the three major ecosystems of society, economy, and ecology and is a key link in the realization of economic transformation and sustainable development [2,3]. The effect of scientific and technological innovation on sustainable development is mainly reflected in the promotion of economic growth [4] and the evolution of social patterns [5], as well as the protection of the ecological environment and the conservation of resources [6], which has continuously promoted the sustainable development of the economy, society, and natural systems. The innovation ability of universities is an important aspect of research in the field of social sustainable development [8,9]

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