What drives the intellectual property output of high-tech firms? Regional- and firm-level factors

Abstract

This study analyzes the effects of regional- and firm-level factors on the intellectual property (IP) output of high-tech firms. So far, little is known on how regional factors influence the IP output of high-tech firms. We combine data on 8317 German high-tech firms with regional data and perform various regression analyses. We measure the IP output by the number of granted patents and trademarks. In particular, the receipt of venture capital and firm size have a significant effect on the IP output. With regard to regional factors, the student rate in a region is positively linked to IP output, whereas the existence of a technical university in a region has no significant effect on the IP output. Implications for policy makers and practitioners are discussed.