This research expands the analysis on patents generated by the public system by changing the focus from universities to public research organisations (PRO). It also links the policy debates on the rise of PRO patents to other issues on the organisation of science. We have data from the Spanish High Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), the largest PRO in Spain. It consists of 2,794 patents applied for by CSIC. We classified them by an average of 95 CSIC research units per year and 19 years (1987-2005), so we built a 1,812-observation panel. We find that some ongoing trends are coherent with the generation of CSIC patents, e.g. high technological cooperation with national firms, incorporation of loosely linked personnel, joint management of research units through service centres and presidential styles of CSIC. However, some other tendencies are innocuous, e.g. diversification of funding, decentralisation to regions and presidential styles of the Spanish government. Finally, some others are at odds, e.g. low technological cooperation with foreign firms, diminution of civil servants and increase of university personnel in joint research centres. Policymakers and PRO managers should be aware whether these findings are the result of deliberate strategies or possible unexpected outcomes.

AZAGRA CARO Joaquin Maria;  PLAZA GÓMEZ Luis;  ROMERO DE PABLOS Ana; 

2008-04-08

BEECH TREE PUBLISHING

JRC36881

0958-2029,   

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/beech/reev,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC36881,   

10.3152/095820207X254457,