Nathan, Max
(2011)
Ethnic inventors, diversity and innovation in the UK: evidence from patents microdata.
SERC Discussion Papers (SERCDP092).
Spatial Economics Research Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
Abstract
Ethnic inventors play important roles in US innovation systems, especially in high-tech regions like Silicon Valley. Do ‘ethnicity-innovation’ channels exist elsewhere? This paper investigates, using a new panel of UK patents microdata. In theory, ethnicity might affect positively innovation via ‘star’ migrants, network externalities from co-ethnic groups, or production complementarities from diverse inventor communities. I use the novel ONOMAP name classification system to identify ethnic inventors. Controlling for individuals’ human capital, I find small positive effects of South Asian and Southern European co-ethnic group membership on individual patenting. The overall diversity of inventor communities also helps raise individual inventors’ productivity. I find no hard evidence that ethnic inventors crowd out patenting by majority groups.
| Item Type: |
Monograph
(Discussion Paper)
|
| Official URL: |
http://www.spatialeconomics.ac.uk/SERC/publication... |
| Additional Information: |
© 2011 The Author |
| Divisions: |
Spatial Economics Research Centre |
| Subjects: |
H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races |
| JEL classification: |
J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J15 - Economics of Minorities and Races; Non-labor Discrimination
J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Time Allocation, Work Behavior, and Employment Determination and Creation; Human Capital; Retirement > J24 - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J6 - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies > J61 - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
M - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting > M1 - Business Administration > M13 - Entrepreneurship
O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Technological Change; Research and Development > O30 - General
R - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics > R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, and Changes
R - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics > R2 - Household Analysis > R23 - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population |
| Date Deposited: |
28 Jul 2014 09:57 |
| Last Modified: |
13 Sep 2024 20:20 |
| Funders: |
Economic and Social Research Council, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), Welsh Assembly Government |
| URI: |
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/58329 |
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