Econometric persistence in innovation and analysis of the patent activity of Russian companies

The paper investigates the phenomenon of persistence in innovation and factors that determine it. Using a database of 860 Russian patents Kaplan–Meier estimators, showing the percentage of firms that are persistent in innovations at a particular time, are computed. Based on the three forms of Weibull regression characteristics of a persistent innovator for the sample are determined: it is a company that specializes in chemical manufacturing with four patents belonging to different patent classes. Our calculations did not confirm a theoretical statement that the persistence in innovation rises with the number of patents that a firm has at the start of the innovation spell («success breeds success»).