Heterogeneity of Intellectual Assets A Method for Identification and Measurement With Patent Data
This paper deals with methodological issues of measuring and assessing the composition and level of heterogeneity of firms’ intellectual assets. It develops an original metric referred to as the H-index for measuring heterogeneity at firm level using data extracted from patent documents. The main purpose is to improve the characterization of research activities within firms in the biotechnology sector. Although the H-index grew out of research on biotech firms, the metric carries broader relevance for all patent-intensive industries. The measurement and assessment of the Hindex is illustrated and tested using empirical data from our study on Scandinavian biotech firms. ISBN 87-91549-03-5 2 edition
Abstract High technology is a concept much in vogue in OECD countries, for it is a symbol of an “advanced” economy. This paper looks at why and how the concept and its indicator acquired such fame. It explains that the reason has to do with the fact that the indicator emerged in the context of debates on the competitiveness of countries and their efforts to maintain or improve their positions in world trade. The first part looks at the early statistics behind the indicator (R&D/sales), statistics developed in official analyses of industrial R&D surveys before the 1950s. The second part traces the evolution of the R&D/sales ratio in the 1960s through its use as an indicator of research or technological intensity. The third part discusses the internationalization of the indicator via the OECD.