Award nominees

Nominees for the DRUID18 Best Paper Award

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Nominees for the DRUID18 Steven Klepper Award for Best Young Scholar Paper

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Nominees for the 2018 Industry & Innovation DRUID Award for Best Paper

Academic tenure, risktaking and the diversification of scientific research

Industry and Innovation, 24:7 (2017), 691-712.

Chiara Franzoni

Cristina Rossi-Lamastra

ABSTRACT: We discuss two competing hypotheses linking the relative job security granted by tenure in academic employment to scientists’ choices between diversifying vs. specialising their research portfolio. To test our hypotheses, we develop a new methodology, using an algorithm of semantic analysis that partitions scientists’ publications into research themes, and we compute the Blau’s diversification index for 562 scientists observed over 15 years. The results of a Fractional Probit Model with fixed effects show that tenure is associated to more diversification of research interests. We discuss the implications for policy-makers and granting agencies wishing to incentivise explorative research.

Trademark or patent? The effects of market concentration, customer type and venture capital financing on start-ups’ initial IP applications

Industry and Innovation, 24:4 (2017), 325-345.

Geertjan De Vries

Enrico Pennings

Joern H. Block

Christian Fisch

ABSTRACT: We analyse the initial IP applications of 4,703 start-ups in the U.S., distinguishing between trademark and patent applications. Our empirical results show that start-ups are more likely to file for trademarks instead of patents when entering markets with a higher market concentration. Furthermore, we find that start-ups that are primarily active in business-to-consumer markets instead of business-to-business markets are more likely to file trademarks. Finally, the involvement of a venture capitalist (VC) affects the initial IP application. VC-backed start-ups are more likely than other startups to file initial IP in the form of trademarks rather than patents. This paper contributes to research on the use of IP rights in start-ups and to the literature on new venture strategy.

R&D, worker training and innovation: firm-level evidence

Industry and Innovation, 23:8 (2016), 694-712.

Xulia González

Daniel Miles-Touya

Consuelo Pazó

ABSTRACT: Firms that invest in R&D and also in worker training are expected to be successful innovators; yet, the extent to which these investments are mutually reinforcing has not been established. This paper addresses that question by analysing the decision to innovate and the number of innovations introduced. Our findings, which are based on a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms, confirm that R&D is more effective when firms also invest in worker training. Moreover, for some smaller firms, investing in workers’ skills (via training programs) boosts innovation even in absence of R&D. Meanwhile, on-the-job training in large firms might serve mainly to reinforce the effects of R&D. Regarding the number of innovations, our result signals that a higher absorptive capacity via higher ability of qualified workers (through schooling or training) leads to improved innovation performance.