Scientist commercialization as conduit of knowledge spillovers

Abstract

This paper examines how institutional, locational and individual characteristics of university scientists influence patent inventions. The paper illustrates why and how some scientists combine scientific and commercial creativity in the context of their regional location and the particular type of institution where the scientist is employed. Using a dataset of 1,683 individual scientists, over a 7-year period, the paper estimates the impact of their patenting propensity. The paper uses the Carnegie Classification of Universities, location and scientists human capital and applies a logit analysis is to determine which aspects affect a scientist's propensity to patent. © Springer-Verlag 2009.