Value and barriers in the creation of intellectual property in advanced manufacturing: a country comparison

Purpose: The basic aim of this research is to determine to what extent intellectual property owners of advanced manufacturing technologies compensate the disadvantages of their small size and peripheral company location by innovations in these areas. Design/methodology/approach: We developed an empirical study of patents from two completely different economic areas, a central and a peripheral one, represented by Germany and Spain, respectively, in the domain of the Key Enabling Technology (KET) of advanced manufacturing technologies in robotics and automation. From the population of 211 Spanish patents granted and a random sample of 500 German patents, from the files of the US Patent and Trademark Office, we developed a series of logistic regression models. Findings Judging from the predicted possibilities to develop a patent with more citations, a proxy for its value, the study shows that whereas big companies from central locations do not obtain more heavily cited patents from sharing their R&D activity with other firms or research institutes, smaller manufacturing firms in peripheral areas, namely, Spain, may find this advantageous. Additionally, patents containing fewer cited articles and citations of previous patents, tend to be cited more frequently. Finally, this same outcome is also observed with patents showing shorter time between the application and grant. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on patent value which examines the KET of advanced manufacturing technologies in robotics and automation, comparing a central to a peripheral geographic environment, and determining the number, diversity and size of patent assignees. Our results prove relevant in general for manufacturing businesses, especially in the Machine-Tool and machinery producing industry. Overwhelmingly, these firms tend to be SMEs basing their marketing activity entirely on a Business-to-Business (B2B) focus, and facing serious obstacles for R&D activity

Wolbachia, Cardinium and climate: an analysis of global data.

Bacterial endosymbionts are very common in terrestrial arthropods, but infection levels vary widely among populations. Experiments and within-species comparisons suggest that environmental temperature might be important in explaining this variation. To investigate the importance of temperature, at broad geographical and taxonomic scales, we extended a global database of terrestrial arthropods screened for Wolbachia and Cardinium. Our final dataset contained data from more than 117 000 arthropods (over 2500 species) screened for Wolbachia and more than 18 000 arthropods (over 800 species) screened for Cardinium, including samples from 137 different countries, with mean temperatures varying from -6.5 to 29.2°C. In insects and relatives, Cardinium infection showed a clear and consistent tendency to increase with temperature. For Wolbachia, a tendency to increase with temperature in temperate climates is counteracted by reduced prevalence in the tropics, resulting in a weak negative trend overall. We discuss the implications of these results for natural and introduced symbionts in regions affected by climate change

Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean from Advanced Human Capital: Contribution to the Development of Patents in Emerging Countries

This paper uses data collected from the Ibero-American and Inter-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators (RICYT) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and statistically processed using Spearman\u27s bivariate correlation procedure and multiple regression analysis to examine the contribution of a series of variables of the advanced human capital to the innovative performance measured by patenting in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) economies. These findings establish relationships between patents and R&D expenditure; personnel dedicated to R&D; the number of researchers; and the number of doctoral students, but not higher education expenditure. The combination of advanced human capital factors that optimize the generation of patents in LAC can be identified. Although patenting is an indicator of innovation that has been analyzed, further research supporting it in terms of human capital measured in Latin American and Caribbean countries is needed.Con los datos recogidos de la Ibero-American and Inter-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators (RICYT) y de la World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),  y procesados estadísticamente a partir del procedimiento de correlación bivariada de Spearman  y del análisis de regresión múltiple,  se aborda la contribución de una serie de variables que comprende el capital humano avanzado, al desempeño innovador medido a partir del patentamiento  que presentan  economías de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC).   Los resultados establecen relaciones entre las patentes y el gasto en I+D; el personal dedicado a la I+D;  el número de investigadores;  y  el número de estudiantes  de doctorado, más no al gasto en educación superior. A su vez, es posible identificar la combinación de factores del capital humano avanzado que optimizan la generación de patentes que presenta ALC.  Si bien el patentamiento es un indicador de innovación que ha sido analizado, son escasas las investigaciones que lo sustentan en el capital humano medido en países de la región latinoamericana y del Caribe

Algunos aspectos de la formación universitaria de postgrado en la UPV/EHU en las áreas empresariales

El objetivo del presente trabajo es el analizar la formación de postgrado económico-empresarial desde la óptica del comportamiento social e individual al respecto en un contexto previamente definido. Este viene determinado por una legislación específica y relativamente joven, así como por el cuerpo empírico escogido: dos másteres de postgrado en estudios empresariales en la UPV/EHU. La dinámica del análisis se ha basado en el establecimiento de un marco teórico previo y un trabajo empírico, análisis parcial y multivariable, posterior

Sustainability Strategies by Oil and Gas Companies, Contribution to the SDGs and Local Innovation Ecosystems

Oil and gas (O&G) companies are facing increasing pressure to transform their businesses in order to contribute effectively to the transition from an economy based on fossil fuels to one driven by clean energy technologies. Understanding how O&G companies can define actions to comply with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, specifically, how they can generate a positive impact in terms of sustainability through technology innovation becomes relevant in order to guarantee the success of such transformation. To explore this issue, this article analyzes, using a case study research methodology, the sustainability strategy of an O&G company in the Basque Country region (Spain) that is undergoing a profound transformation of its overall business strategy. In particular, the analysis focuses on how the company’s innovation and research and development (R&D) activities and projects related to clean technologies contribute to fulfilling the energy- and non-energy-related SDGs. The main result of the analysis is the identification and characterization of an emerging complex public–private multi-stakeholder business and innovation ecosystem surrounding the O&G company under scrutiny with a clear focus on low-carbon technologies. This ecosystem channels knowledge and innovation synergies and spillovers at the local and regional levels, encouraging green industrial growth in different value chains, and provides insights about how O&G companies can contribute effectively to the SDGs and, at the same time, increase the sustainability of their businesses.This publication was generously supported by the University of Deusto’s Research Results Transfer Office (Deiker) grant “Contrato Programa—Artículos ISI” No. 2023/0009. The authors would like to thank the organizers and sponsors of the IPTC 2022 for the opportunity to present a previous working version of this article. In addition, the Chairs of IPTC 2022 Session “Sustainability Polices, Strategies, and Governance” provided valuable and useful insights during the preparation of the conference proceedings, which definitely helped to improve this research. Various attendees at the IPTC 2022 showed interest in this research and engaged in debates and conversations about it, which helped to enrich the final orientation of this article. The staff of the University of Deusto’s Library provided helpful advice. Last but not least, special thanks to the blind peer reviewers who finally made possible the present article

UN MODELO CAUSAL DE COMPETITIVIDAD EMPRESARIAL PLANTEADO DESDE LA VBR: CAPACIDADES DIRECTIVAS, DE INNOVACIÓN, MARKETING Y CALIDAD

El propósito de esta investigación es desarrollar un modelo explicativo de la competitividad empresarial a partir de factores internos a la empresa. Para ello se identifican los factores de competitividad más importantes en el caso de las empresas manufactureras vascas, así como las variables que permiten caracterizarlos, utilizando técnicas cualitativas basadas en entrevistas con directivos. Los factores resultantes son las capacidades directivas, las capacidades de innovación, las capacidades de marketing y las capacidades de calidad. Tras analizar estos factores bajo la Visión de la empresa Basada en Recursos (VBR), y definir sus escalas de medida, se plantea un modelo causal que relaciona cada uno de ellos con la competividad de la empresa. Este modelo otorga una importancia especial a las capacidades directivas al plantear este factor como precedente del resto de capacidades de la empresa. El modelo es contrastado a través de la técnica de modelado con ecuaciones estructurales utilizando una muestra representativa de la población de empresas manufactureras vascas formada por 861 empresas

Los ADPIC plus en los actuales tratados bilaterales impulsados por Estados Unidos y consecuencias en los países en desarrollo

El acuerdo sobre los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio (ADPIC) se describe como uno de los tres pilares de la Organizacióm Mundial del Comercio (OMC). Este artículo examina la distancia aparente que existe entre dos importantes instrumentos internacionales; los ADPIC y la Convención de Diversidad Biológica (CBD). Aquí se argumenta que en materia de Propiedad Intelectual, especialmente los llamados "ADPICS Plus", en los actuales tratados bilaterales tienen consecuencias negativas para los países en desarrollo en asuntos estratégicos como la salud, la biodiversidad y el conocimiento tradicional de los países pobres._______________________________The Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) is often described as one of the three pillars of the World Trade Organization (WTO).This paper examines the apparent lack of agreement between the two major international instruments; namely TRIPs and the Convention on Biological diversity (CBD). The Trips agreement defines minimum standards of protection for intellectual property rights (IPRs). This paper argues that current forms of bilateralism on IP has negative consequences for developing countries because the “TRIPS Plus” in bilateral agreements, undermine implementation of Doha declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity in poor countries