Inventive Output of Academic Research : A Comparison of Two Science Systems

A cross-country comparison of inventive output between Finnish and Flemish university researchers is presented. The total inventive output of researchers from both systems, the distribution of inventive activity at various levels, ownership of academic inventions, assignation of patents to domestic and foreign companies, and technological specialization of patents are explored. Two sources of data were used: patents and personnel register records for all major universities in Finland and Flanders, Belgium. Findings indicate both differences and commonalities between the two locations. Overall, the absolute level of inventiveness did not vary substantially between Finland and Flanders, though at first glance Finland appeared more productive because of its higher ownership of patents. This reveals the ineffectiveness of using university-owned patents as an indicator of inventive contributions. Results imply that inventiveness has more to do with national innovation systems or cultural factors than with incentive structures and intellectual property regulations. (LKB)