University Patent Licensing and Its Contribution to China’s National Innovation System

Abstract

Patent licensing is one of the most important methods of technology transfer, and universities can be an important source of patent licensing within national innovation systems (NIS). In this chapter we examine how Chinese universities, including those supported by government programs aimed at developing science and technology, and patents, contribute to China’s NIS through patent licensing. To do this, we develop a composite dataset from multiple information sources and use a combination of research methods such as text mining, scientometrics, and social network analysis, to analyze the structural features of patent licensing activities by Chinese universities. We find that universities that are part of Project 211, which is a government program to support technological development in certain Chinese universities, play an important role in patent licensing. We find that increased patent licensing between entities in lesser-developed regions and universities in relatively more developed regions—particularly those with more capabilities to develop patented technologies worth out-licensing—could be useful to better diffuse technology throughout China’s NIS. Furthermore, this may be feasible since geographic distance itself does not appear to significantly inhibit patent licensing by universities in China. Considering these findings, we discuss ways in which the Project 211, and some other Chinese policies, could be improved in order to better contribute to technology transfer in China’s NIS.