Academic Patenting in Europe
This chapter summarizes the results of the project titled Academic Patenting in Europe (APE-INV). The key aims of the project are the creation and diffusion of a harmonized database on academic patenting in Europe. The database allows for the investigation of the economic returns of academic patenting at the scientist, university, and industry level. It also helps to investigate the extent of synergies and trade-offs between patenting and other technology transfer means such as consultancy, mobility of personnel, as well as teaching, conferencing, and publishing. Finally, it provides the basis for the creation of a larger database on inventors in Europe, to be used in studies on knowledge diffusion and labour mobility. The basic evidence from the database is opposed to the view that the European universities are lagging behind the US in terms of universities’ contribution to patenting. The bulk of academic patents remained in the hands of the companies having strong ties with academic scientists. The European policies mainly addressed the narrow issue of technology transfer and patent ownership, and were not strong enough to change the fundamentals of the research systems.