Patent Activity of OECD Countries in Regional View – Convergence or Maintaining the Status Quo

Abstract

The aim of the research presented in the article was to analyze the level of innovation in OECD countries at the regional level in 2000-2011. The time period is limited due to the availability of data. The studies included patent activity as a measure of innovation and expenditures on R&D and employment in the R&D sector as its determinants. The analysis of convergence and econometric modeling were used as research tools. When analyzing changes in patent activity at the level of individual countries (by region) beta convergence analysis and models of space-time for the whole group of countries were used. The results confirmed that most of the countries observed a convergence of activity, but its significance can confirm only half of the cases. Divergence sometimes observed in any of the cases has not been confirmed as statistically significant. Therefore, there can be inferred an existence of a general trend ‘top runner’ in terms of growth in the level of innovation within the OECD countries. In turn, econometric analysis also identified a gap between patent activity of individual regions and countries. Stronger developed regions, despite the understandable slowdown, benefit from the created potential and maintain almost constant distance in relation to the others.  In general, the changes are more noticeable within more homogeneous (in terms of development) groups than between them.