Patent Output Research Articles

Nurse-Authored Patents and Their Influencing Factors Analysis Among Oncology Nurses Based on the Structural Equation Model.

This study analysed the status of nurse-authored patents and their influencing factors. In particular, this study examined the effects of nurses' innovative behaviour and creative self-efficacy on nurse-authored patent output via structural equation modelling (SEM). A descriptive cross-sectional study. Nurses were recruited from one tertiary cancer hospital in Beijing, China. Among them, 352 oncology nurses completed the online versions of the Nurse Innovative Behavior Scale and Creative Self-Efficacy Scale in 2023. We collected a total of 332 valid questionnaires. Fifty-seven (17.2%) nurses had 1-3 patents, and only 6 (1.8%) had more than three patents. The final model revealed a chain reaction between creative self-efficacy, innovation behaviour and nurse-authored patent output (χ2 = 11.962, df = 7, p = 0.102). Significant differences were observed in the number of nurse-authored patents and based on age, educational profile, professional title, length of service, position, participation in science and technology innovation training, and experience in project presentation (all p < 0.05). Nurses still play a minor role in the field of medical technology innovation. It is necessary to promote innovative behaviour among nurses and improve their creative self-efficacy in terms of innovation. Developing intervention strategies to encourage nurses to pursue clinical innovations is crucial for nursing managers and technological innovation promoters.

Smarter and Cleaner? The Carbon Reduction Effect of Smart Cities: A Perspective on Green Technology Progress

In the context of the global climate change problem intensifying due to a dramatic increase in carbon emissions, smart cities, as a topical application of digitalization and intelligence, have become a new urban governance mode for countries, which helps to achieve sustainable development. This research studies the relationship between smart city construction (SCC) and carbon dioxide emissions based on the differences-in-differences model (DID) and propensity score matching (PSM) to promote China to achieve dual carbon goals and high-quality development. The findings are as follows: (a) SCC could promote carbon emission reduction by reducing urban carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 11.4%, which also has significant long-term dynamic effects. Specifically, SCC has more obvious emission reduction effects on activities, such as industrial production and waste treatment. (b) Mechanism verification shows that green technology progress is a significant booster for the carbon reduction effect in SCC. The pilot project can increase output of green patents, which helps transfer production mode and consumption patterns in an environmentally friendly manner. SCC could increase the total factor productivity (TFP) through the rational allocation and efficient use of resources, and thus reducing carbon emissions. (c) Research on city heterogeneity shows that a high level of human capital, material, and financial resources can provide support for smart cities to better achieve the carbon reduction effect. Among them, material resources have the best carbon reduction effect in the process of SCC, which could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 6.6–17.7%. This study is useful for policymakers to continuously and dynamically adjust urban development strategies in the future, to achieve a balance between socioeconomic prosperity and environmental sustainability.

Influence of Chinese National Centralized Drug Procurement policy on pharmaceutical corporate R&D investment

ABSTRACT The Chinese National Centralized Drug Procurement (CNCDP) policy has dramatically changed the Chinese drug market and influenced the production and R&D behaviour of pharmaceutical companies. This study empirically examined the impact of the CNCDP policy on pharmaceutical enterprises’ R&D investment and its mechanism using the difference-in-differences (DID) estimation. The findings demonstrate that this policy has a significant positive impact on corporate R&D investment. Moreover, selling expenses and accounts receivable play a crucial mediating role between them. However, there is no corresponding increase in the patent output of pharmaceutical enterprises. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the policy exerts a more substantial influence on non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) and chemical drug manufacturers than on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and comprehensive firms. Therefore, it is recommended that the government continue to implement procurement policies, combat medical corruption, urge hospitals to pay promptly for medicines, broaden the scope of procured medicines, and promote the conversion of companies’ R&D investment into high-quality outcomes. These findings offer valuable guidance for developing countries in formulating policies to bolster the R&D competitiveness of their pharmaceutical industries and secure the supply of medicines.

Patent output and patent transfer network in China universities: Moderating roles of absorptive capacity and desorptive capacity

Although absorptive capacity and desorptive capacity has been widely present in university-industry relationships, there has been no research on their potential impact on the relationship between university patent output and university patent transfer network. We constructed datasets of patent applications and patent transfers to firms from 383 universities between 2002 and 2021 in China, and empirically demonstrated the effect of the patent output on university patent transfer network using negative binomial regression models. We also examined the moderating effects of absorptive capacity and desorptive capacity. The results reveal that university patent output positively affects the size and the connection strength of the university patent transfer network. Technology transfer offices and satellite institutions, for desorptive capacity in universities, negatively moderate the relationship between the university patent output and the university patent transfer network, respectively. For absorptive capacity in firms, research and development intensity of new products and the level of research and development personnel input, respectively, have a positively moderate effect on the relationship between the university patent output and the university patent transfer network. Our research provides insights into the dynamics of the university patent transfer network; especially against the backdrop of a sharp increase in university patent output and insufficient development of the university patent transfer network, this study provides evidence to the substitution effect of desorptive capacity in universities and the bidirectional effect of absorptive capacity in firms.

The Impact of Private Equity on Corporate Innovation

Private equity plays a crucial role in today's economic environment and has a profound impact on corporate innovation. This study aims to explore in depth how private equity investment affects corporate innovation and to reveal the mechanisms behind this impact. By constructing a linear regression model, the study finds that private equity investment has a positive effect on firms' R&amp;D investment and patent output, thus proving that private equity investment promotes corporate innovation. The empirical evidence in this paper reveals the investment logic of private equity investment, provides an analysis of the process of the role of private equity investment in influencing corporate innovation performance, and enriches the research on the factors affecting corporate innovation performance. The findings of this paper are of practical significance in guiding private equity investment to enhance corporate innovation.

Beyond support and plunder? Government procurement and firm digital transformation in China

ABSTRACT Utilizing data from listed companies in China between 2016 and 2022, we find an inverted U-shaped relationship between government procurement and firms’ digital transformation. Mechanism tests reveal that moderate government procurement promotes firms’ R&D investment and patent output, while excessive government procurement constrains firms’ innovation performance, affecting the transformation of technological innovations and ultimately hindering firms’ digital transformation.

The effects of foreign patent litigation on firms’ patent strategies: evidence from Chinese litigants in the US court

ABSTRACT The internationally orientated market leads to a surge of cross-border patent litigations. Despite the growing literature on patent litigations, research on the impact of patent litigation on firms’ patent strategy is sparse, especially on the impact of foreign patent litigations. Using US patent infringement lawsuits in which Chinese public firms act as defendants, this paper investigates the effect of foreign patent litigation on firms’ subsequent patent outputs and patent trajectories. We find that the experience of foreign patent litigation increases the accused firms’ subsequent patent filings, and those firms tend to apply exploitative patents instead of exploratory patents. We further find that such promoting impact is more pronounced for firms with a high level of international intensity and firms in the ICT industry. These findings highlight the role of foreign patent litigation in future patent creation, thus enriching the literature on patent litigation and international business. According to the results, firms should take foreign patent litigation as an opportunity to build a strong patent portfolio and improve patent strategies.

Bureaucratic Culture and Innovation

AbstractThis study explores the effects of bureaucratic culture on innovation. We define bureaucratic culture as a culture in which power and officials are held in the highest regard. Using panel data of publicly listed Chinese manufacturing firms from 2007 to 2015, we found that bureaucratic culture negatively correlated with firms' patent output. A mechanism analysis shows that bureaucratic culture hindered corporate innovation by reducing firms' research and development inputs and decreasing innovation efficiency. Furthermore, we provided evidence that anti‐corruption campaigns and the development of formal institutions could neutralize the negative impact of bureaucratic culture on corporate innovation. This study is the first to investigate quantitatively the causal effect of bureaucratic culture on corporate innovation and it can deepen the understanding of the relationship between culture and innovation in China. We speculate that promoting a creative culture, particularly one that fosters entrepreneurial spirit, is of utmost importance.

Growth Models and Influencing Mechanisms of Total Factor Productivity in China’s National High-Tech Zones

Total factor productivity (TFP) serves as a crucial indicator of high-quality development, showcasing a region’s utilization of technological advancements and innovative strategies to enhance production efficiency. With China’s regions experiencing varying levels of development, the paths to high-quality development in NHTZs also exhibit significant disparities. Analyzing data from 88 NHTZs between 2011 and 2018, this research aims to explore differences in TFP growth models and the mechanisms influencing these models. Employing stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and the Tobit model, the study identifies three TFP growth models: technology-led, multi-efficiency improvement, and scale efficiency compensation. While factors such as capital accumulation, overseas market participation, and patent output moderately hinder TFP growth, innovation platforms, R&amp;D investment, and overseas talent acquisition significantly contribute to TFP enhancement. Distinguishing itself from existing TFP studies, this paper focuses on NHTZs, highlighting their role in regional high-tech industry development. It introduces three TFP growth models and their characteristics while also uncovering influencing factors for each model. This research offers valuable insights into regional disparities in high-quality development and contributes to understanding TFP growth dynamics in NHTZs.

Research on the impact of industrial innovation determinants in China

ABSTRACT China's industries have been positioned at lower and mid-range of the global industrial chain. On the basis of the latest China Economic Census, the effects of external technology acquisition and internal research and development (R&D) efforts on the innovation performance of Chinese industrial enterprises are examined. The results demonstrate that the levels of R&D intensity, patent output and innovation capability of Chinese industrial enterprises are still very low. Independent R&D has become the most vital source of technological innovation. External technology acquisition significantly inhibits the impact of internal R&D on patent production. In addition, the critical role of independent R&D in the innovation performance of Chinese industrial enterprises is confirmed. This study is of theoretical value and practical significance for promoting the industrial innovation advantages, accelerating the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and upgrading industrial structure.

Natural Language Processing Patents Landscape Analysis

Understanding NLP patents provides valuable insights into innovation trends and competitive dynamics in artificial intelligence. This study uses the Lens patent database to investigate the landscape of NLP patents. The overall patent output in the NLP field on a global scale has exhibited a rapid growth over the past decade, indicating rising research and commercial interests in applying NLP techniques. By analyzing patent assignees, technology categories, and geographic distribution, we identify leading innovators as well as research hotspots in applying NLP. The patent landscape reflects intensifying competition between technology giants and research institutions. This research aims to synthesize key patterns and developments in NLP innovation revealed through patent data analysis, highlighting implications for firms and policymakers. A detailed understanding of NLP patenting activity can inform intellectual property strategy and technology investment decisions in this burgeoning AI domain.

Natural resource dependence and sustainable development policy: Insights from city-level analysis

Under the unprecedented negative impacts of global economic slowdown and environmental deterioration, the question of how to turn the “natural resource curse” into the “natural resource blessing” has become a major emerging issue. This study estimates how a dynamically implemented sustainable development policy can break down the natural resource curse in 283 Chinese cities from 2009 to 2019, with the time-varying difference-in-differences model adopted. The findings indicate that: (1) As for the pilot cities, this sustainable development policy can reduce their natural resource dependence by 30.81% at the 1% significance level, with the overall policy effect being more evident among resource-based and industry-based cities. (2) Cities can employ green patent output as an effective mechanism to enhance policy-stimulating effects on natural resource dependence, among which green utility patent output works better. (3) Cities in multi-regional-level urban agglomerations will have more policy effects in breaking natural resource curses.

Power play in carbon trading market: How status of executives with R&D background incentives companies’ low-carbon innovation

Utilizing the phased initiation of carbon trading pilot projects in eight provinces and municipalities in China from 2013 to 2016 as a quasi-natural experiment, this study matches micro-level data on low-carbon patents and financial information of publicly listed companies from 2009 to 2019. Employing a staggered difference-in-differences framework, it assesses the impact and mechanisms through which the distribution of executive power, among those with R&D backgrounds, influences firms' low-carbon innovation capabilities against the backdrop of a carbon emission trading scheme. The status of executives with R&D backgrounds is characterized by their relative ranking within the team, as denoted in the companies' financial statements. Findings indicate that the carbon emission trading significantly fosters the output of low-carbon patents by firms, with executives possessing R&D backgrounds further enhancing the level of low-carbon innovation. This effect is more pronounced in privately-owned and small to medium-sized enterprises. Further analysis suggests that increasing R&D investment and personnel ratios, correcting managerial overconfidence and myopia, and enhancing corporate attention to green strategies are channels through which R&D-oriented executives lead to an improvement in firms' low-carbon innovation capabilities. The paper proposes government tax incentives and funds for R&D staff, stricter ESG standards for executive accountability, and regulations mandating green goals in company planning.

Why are enterprises willing to assume social responsibility? Answers from the perspective of innovation

Previous studies have examined the innovation effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by measuring R&D investment or patent output, and there are still different opinions. Using the data of Chinese listed companies, we analyse the influence of CSR on innovation and its mechanism. We find that the active fulfillment of CSR is beneficial to the improvement of the scale and quality of innovation. The mechanism test shows that undertaking more CSR enables enterprises to obtain more financial subsidies, which promotes the improvement of innovation scale and quality. In addition, media attention reinforces the innovative effect of CSR. Heterogeneity research shows that for non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) and enterprises located in areas with imperfect market mechanisms, actively assuming CSR is conducive to improving innovation performance. However, for SOEs and enterprises located in areas with mature market mechanisms, the innovative effect of CSR is not significant.

EFFECT AND MECHANISM OF CHINA’S PREFABRICATED BUILDING POLICIES TO PROMOTE PATENT OUTPUT WITH CARBON-NEUTRALITY AS A TARGET

ABSTRACT Unlike cast-in-place buildings, prefabricated buildings can conserve energy and reduce pollution, diminish damage to the environment caused by construction projects, drive greening of the construction industry, and promote carbon neutrality. The prefabricated construction industry is highly developed in China. This study analyzes prefabricated building policies and patents in Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020 and systematically discusses the impact mechanism of supply-oriented, environment-oriented, and demand-oriented prefabricated building policies on patent output from static and dynamic perspectives. Correlations between policies and patent output were analyzed in the spatiotemporal dimension from a static perspective. A system dynamics model was used to investigate the causal relationship between the enterprise, university research, and government subsystems. Simulations were conducted to determine the sensitivity of policies in different dimensions to evaluate the impact of different policy categories and dynamics on patent output. The results: (1) policies are significantly and positively spatiotemporally correlated with patent output; (2) patent output increases over time, the positive effect is enhanced when policy implementation is strengthened; and (3) the effects of different dimensional policies on patent output differ across different periods. Overall, the effect of demand-oriented policies was the most significant, followed by environment- and supply-oriented policies. Before 2020, the effects of environment- and supply-oriented policies were equivalent, but the promotional effects of supply-oriented policies became more prominent after that, and (4) sub-policies contributing to dimensional policies vary. Fiscal and financial, science and technology, and public procurement sub-policies are critical in supply-, environment-, and demand-oriented policies, respectively. The findings can contribute to a virtuous cycle of prefabricated building policies and patent output systems, and provide information to accelerate sustainable, green industrialized development of the prefabricated construction industry in China.

Independent directors’ status and R&amp;D: a study based on Chinese cultural background

PurposeIndependent directors are important corporate decision participants and makers. Based on the Chinese cultural background, this paper interprets the listing order of independent directors as independent directors’ status, exploring their influence on the corporate research and development (R&amp;D) behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis paper studies A-share listed firms in China from 2008 to 2018 as the sample. The main method is ordinary least square (OLS) regression. We also use other methods to deal with endogenous problems, such as the firm fixed effect method, change model method, two-stage instrumental variable method, and Heckman two-stage method.Findings(1) Higher independent directors’ status attribute to more effective exertion of supervision and consultation function, and positively enhance the corporate R&amp;D investment. The increase of the independent director’ status by one standard deviation will increase the R&amp;D investment by 4.6%. (2) The above effect is more influential in firms with stronger traditional culture atmosphere, higher information opacity and higher performance volatility. (3) High-status independent directors promote R&amp;D investment by improving the scientificity of R&amp;D evaluation and reducing information asymmetry. (4) The enhancing effect of independent director’ status on R&amp;D investment is positively associated with the firm’s patent output and market value.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to understanding the relationship between the independent directors’ status and their duty execution from an embedded cultural background perspective. The findings of the study enlighten the improvement of corporate governance efficiency and the healthy development of the capital market.

Research on the impact of government fiscal subsidies and tax incentive mechanism on the output of green patents in enterprises

This paper investigates the impact of two different incentive mechanisms, government fiscal subsidies and tax incentives, on the level of green patent output by Chinese companies. It analyzes the effectiveness, direction, and preference categories of government incentive policies. This paper examines the differences in the mechanisms of tax incentives and fiscal subsidies, and then studys the sensitivity of clean energy and traditional energy companies’ green patent output to policy incentives based on the type of enterprise. The results show that fiscal subsidies have a more significant incentive effect, and clean energy companies are more sensitive to policy incentives.

Effect of the Strategic Emerging Industry Support Program on Corporate Innovation among Listed Companies in China

In this paper, we analyze the relationship between the Chinese government’s Strategic Emerging Industry Support Program and the innovation level of strategic emerging industry firms. We use panel data of A-share-listed firms from 2007 to 2017 and apply a difference-in-difference model. We obtain evidence that firms exhibit strategic innovation behavior in response to the Strategic Emerging Industry Support Program, as evidenced by firms focusing solely on increasing their research and development (R&amp;D) input and number of patent outputs, neglecting innovation efficiency and quality, and failing to convert patent results into firm profitability. Moreover, we observe that the aforementioned support program, through the provision of subsidies, tax incentives, and easy access to credit, as well as the reduction in stock liquidity, prompts increases in firm R&amp;D input and, consequently, the number of patents firms are granted. Our results also indicate that for state-owned enterprises in strategic emerging industries, government support in the form of subsidies and tax incentives has the strongest effect on innovation; by contrast, for private firms, innovation is more strongly stimulated through convenient credit support, tax incentives, and reduced stock liquidity. This paper provides empirical evidence on whether industrial policy promotes firm innovation and argues more generally whether government industrial policy is effective.

Bank Digital Transformation and Enterprise Innovation—Evidence from China

With the rapid advancement of digital technology, the banking industry has embarked on a journey of digital transformation. While existing literature primarily examines how these changes impact the banks themselves, our study focuses on a relatively unexplored aspect: the direct influence of bank digital transformation on the performance and behavior of borrowing enterprises. The research objective of this study is to explore the influence of bank digital transformation on the innovation performance of borrowing enterprises and the underlying mechanisms. Leveraging data from Chinese listed companies and commercial banks, we find a positive effect of bank digital transformation on enterprise innovation output as measured by firms’ patent applications. The findings remain robust across alternative model specifications, controls for regional digital economy development levels, and bank financial performance, as well as alternative measures of bank digital transformation. Mechanism tests show that bank digital transformation contributes to corporate innovation by alleviating corporate financial constraints and improving corporate governance. Further research demonstrates that bank digital transformation also helps promote corporate innovation efficiency as measured by the proportion of patent output to total R&amp;D input and corporate innovation output as measured by firms’ invention patent applications and patent grants. Additionally, borrowing firms’ own digital transformations may substitute for bank digital transformation in their effect on innovations.

The effect of applied research institutes on invention: Evidence from the Fraunhofer centres in Europe

Abstract This study examines the impact of the Fraunhofer Society, Europe’s largest network of applied research institutes, on patent applications. A difference-in-differences strategy was employed exploiting the establishment of five new Fraunhofer centres in the 2000s. The panel includes 65,963 European applicants (both firms and independent inventors) between 1980 and 2019. The results show that establishing a centre increases patent output by at least 13%, robust to using applicants of cities that established a centre by the end of the 2010s as an alternative control group. The effect is driven by an increase in applicants’ productivity and not by agglomeration dynamics.