81. Jonathan Eaton, Robert Evenson, Samuel Kortum, Poorti Marino, and Jonathan Putnam
Technological Specialization in International Patenting
January 1998
Abstract
Countries differ in their absolute and relative productivities in doing research
across different technologies. They also differ in their propensity to adopt different
technologies from abroad. Moreover, technologies may vary in their international
mobility. We make use of new data on international patenting within different
technologies to infer how countries specialize and which technologies are most
mobile. We find countries to be much more specialized in their production than in
their use of technologies, suggesting agglomeration effects in research. Innovations
in chemistry and nucleonics are the most internationally mobile while those in
agriculture and building are the least so.
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