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Spatial diversity in invention: evidence from the early R&D labs

Spatial diversity in invention: evidence from the early R&D labs This article uses historical data on inventor and firm research and development (R&D) lab locations to examine the technological and geographic structure of corporate knowledge capital accumulation during a formative period in the organization of United States innovation. Despite the localization of inventive activity around the labs, one-quarter of inventors lived outside a 30 mile commuting radius of the nearest facility of the firm they assigned their patents to. A strong positive effect of distance from a lab on technological importance is identified, especially for inventors from large cities that were geographically separated from a firm's; labs. A patent case–control method helps explain spatial sourcing by showing that the average quality of externally available inventions was high. Firms selected complementary, not substitute, inventions from non-lab urban locations, suggesting a link between the organization and the geography of innovation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Economic Geography Oxford University Press

Spatial diversity in invention: evidence from the early R&D labs

Journal of Economic Geography , Volume 9 (1) – Jan 29, 2009

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References (70)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
© The Author (2008). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
ISSN
1468-2702
eISSN
1468-2710
DOI
10.1093/jeg/lbn042
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This article uses historical data on inventor and firm research and development (R&D) lab locations to examine the technological and geographic structure of corporate knowledge capital accumulation during a formative period in the organization of United States innovation. Despite the localization of inventive activity around the labs, one-quarter of inventors lived outside a 30 mile commuting radius of the nearest facility of the firm they assigned their patents to. A strong positive effect of distance from a lab on technological importance is identified, especially for inventors from large cities that were geographically separated from a firm's; labs. A patent case–control method helps explain spatial sourcing by showing that the average quality of externally available inventions was high. Firms selected complementary, not substitute, inventions from non-lab urban locations, suggesting a link between the organization and the geography of innovation.

Journal

Journal of Economic GeographyOxford University Press

Published: Jan 29, 2009

Keywords: R&D invention location cities

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