Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/274280 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity [ISSN:] 2199-8531 [Volume:] 7 [Issue:] 4 [Article No.:] 220 [Year:] 2021 [Pages:] 1-19
Publisher: 
MDPI, Basel
Abstract: 
Innovation is widely considered one of the most important drivers for firm growth in the contemporary economy. However, the 'elusive' as well as heterogeneous nature of innovation has generated a lively debate among scholars with regards to the best metrics to capture its features and effects. Often, this has led to a reliance on R&D and/or patent-related measures. We contribute to this debate by pushing forward the idea that a positive effect of investing in intangibles like patents can't be taken for granted, since it is significantly influenced by the way a firm's portfolio of patents is created, assembled, and renewed over time. Starting from a sample of 6677 observations derived from a sample of listed European companies with patents and intangibles booked in their financial statements, this study sheds a new light on how a company creates, composes, and renews over time their portfolio of intangibles, with specific attention on patents. In particular, this contribution discusses the different effects that emerge by making a distinction among different forms of patents, considering two dimensions: broadening vs. deepening investments, and application-specific vs. general purpose investments. We notice that as a company increases investments in intangibles and simultaneously enlarges the breadth of their range of activities, its growth becomes particularly remarkable.
Subjects: 
intangible
patents
profitability
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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