Patents, knowledge creation, and spillovers in genetics for agriculture and natural resources

Includes bibliographical references.2020 Summer.Increasing food, energy, and resource demand by growing global population is putting unprecedented pressure on agriculture and natural resource systems. Innovation in agriculture, energy, and other resource intensive industries contributes enormously to productivity and sustainability gains. Innovation in genetic resources and biological systems is a particularly promising yet controversial area of such innovation. Generally, it has been observed that regional clustering (economies of agglomeration) plays an important role in driving innovation. To what extent do we observe regional clustering to play a role in innovation in these industries? Especially given that production is highly diffused geographically, and research and technology are seen as highly globalized (global public goods vs. global monopolies by MNCs). The overarching questions address by this study are the following: (1) What do patents reveal about geographic patterns of knowledge creation and spillovers? (2) What economic and policy factors drive invention activity at the regional scale? And indirectly, (3) What is the role of regional clustering in driving innovations for food security and sustainability? To address these overarching objectives this study is mainly separated into three parts. The first part delves into three related questions: (1) How have biological inventions for use in primary resource-intensive industries been spatially distributed across the United States? And, in particular, to what degree have they been geographically concentrated? (2) What are the time-space dynamics of biological inventions for these industries? To what extent does the concentration of previous inventions effect where new inventions arise? And, (3) based on these insights, can we identify primary innovation clusters in the U.S. for these industries? This study draws on detailed information on inventor address from about 34,000 patented inventions as indicators of innovation and entrepreneurship in three closely related industries: (1) agriculture, (2) bioenergy, and (3) environmental management. To address these questions three approaches are used mapping, Moran I and regression analysis. Results indicate these biological inventions are distributed across the U.S, but highly concentrated clusters are formed in urban regions. Moreover, a spatial clustering pattern clearly exists. In term of concentration of biological inventions for these industries, a rural-urban division exists. Inventions do not tend to concentrate near production activities but tend to concentrate in urban area. The number of inventions in an area in prior years has a significant impact on the number of current year inventions. This relationship represents the localized spillover phenomenon. While we do see inventions in rural areas, rural areas do not appear to be the hotspots of innovation in agricultural, energy, or environmental biotechnologies. The second part of this dissertation explores the covariates of regional concentration of these biological inventions for agriculture, energy, and environment in the United States. First, the geographic patterns of these inventions are analyzed using negative binomial panel regression of patented inventions by region, to identify the density of inventions overall as well as the space-time dynamics of invention cumulativeness. We find that inventions have been spatially concentrated in about 30 major metropolitan clusters, and that spatial distribution has remained remarkably stable over time. Factors of population, earnings, and farm income are correlated with their invention counts. As a first rule, these inventions are created in higher population urban regions. Although, among regions of similar population inventions are more likely closer to agricultural production. Results clearly show the emergence of largely urban innovation clusters in agriculture and resource industries. The third part of this dissertation broadens the scope to explore the spatial distribution and covariates of regional invention activity across Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Three approaches are used mapping, Moran I and regression analysis to analyse the spatial distribution and covariates across OECD. The results showed that while inventions are distributed across the OECD, there again appear to be concentrated clusters in larger urban regions (another broader set of top 30 clusters). Moreover, the number of inventions made in prior years has significant explanatory power on the number of current year inventions, by region. This represents the localized spillover phenomenon. In addition, region size (as measured by population) and level of economic activity (as measured by regional income) do not appear to be related to the count of inventions for these industries. R&D expenditures (regional) and an IP index (which is national in nature but is applied to regions for this study) are strongly related to biotech invention activity for these industries. A rural-urban division does appear to exist. Finally, these invention counts appear to be negatively correlated with gross value added of agriculture by region across OECD countries

Green Growth: An Environmental Technology Approach.

This research is focused on achieving green growth through an environmental technology approach. Developing environmental technology we examined four elements considering the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs), research and development (R&D) expenditures, the size of the market capture by GDP and most importantly the environmental taxations. This study includes the 11 developed countries which are Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Finland, Germany, Sweden, U.K and U.S. Technology change can be better handled by panel data than by pure cross-section or pure time series. It can minimise the bias if we used the aggregate individuals or firms. Estimation techniques depend on short panel or long panel. This study used the Pooled Least Square estimation techniques like Fixed Effect Model (FEM) and random effect model (REM) for both balance period of 2000-2005 and unbalanced period from 1995-2005. The study concluded the policy formulation in making developed‘s climate resilient economies. JEL classification: O34, F19, L24 Keywords: Intellectual Property Rights, Foreign Direct Investment, Technology Licensin

Intellectual Property Rights and Economic Growth: The Case of Middle Income Developing Countries

Intellectual property (IP) refers to the creation of mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, name, and images used in commerce. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) have been widely recognised as a growth enhancing factor for the global economies as a whole. IPRs regime can influence the growth process through domestic and external sector of an economy. This study is primarily concerned with the effects of IPRs regime through external sector. Through different channels IPRs can promote economic growth in the recipient countries. The most important is technology transfer and its positive spillovers. Therefore, IPRs exert economic growth, which requires increase in productivity, increase in productivity requires increase in technological innovation and it requires the efficient protection of IPRs Rapp and Rozek (1990). The IPRs can influence the average growth more effectively in the open economies as compare to the close one Gould and Gruben (1996). Latter on Thompson and Rushing (1999) extended the model and included total factor productivity (TFP) in their growth model, which shows that IPRs have an insignificant impact on TFP for developed and developing countries but a positive and significant impact for the developed countries. To sustain economic growth it requires secured property rights system

Economic Contribution of Copyright-based Industries in Pakistan

The copyright-based industries contribute substantially to the national economy in the form of value addition, tax revenues, trade and employment. This study highlights both the core and non-core copyright-based industries in Pakistan. With the technical guidance of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and National Institute of Cultural Studies (NICS), we conducted the first ever survey of the copyright-based industries in Pakistan. The estimates of contribution to GDP, tax revenues, trade and employment were also validated through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Our findings reveal that copyright-based industries contributed Rs 136 billion to GDP (on 1999-2000 base year prices of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics). These industries also contributed Rs 18 billion to the government in indirect taxes. On the trade side, the exports of these industries totalled $943 million and imports amounted to$2130 million in 2007-08. In terms of job creation one of the core sub-sectors i.e. electronic media employed around 47,000 persons by the end of 2011. JEL Classification: 034, F10, E24 Keywords: Copyright, Economic Growth, Trade and Employmen

Impact of Climate Change on Wheat Production: A Case Study of Pakistan

Atmospheric condition which remains for some days is called weather, whereas, if such condition prevails for a season, decade or a century, it is termed as climate. To keep the pace of growth fossil fuel has been used in order to meet the energy requirement. However, fossil fuel adds some gases in the atmosphere which are altering the climate with the passage of time

Trade facilitation for economic corridors in South Asia: the perspective of Pakistan

This study outlines the role of trade facilitation in Pakistan for economic corridors in South Asia. We study the current state of trade related infrastructure in Pakistan and its connectedness particularly with Afghanistan and India. The implications of recently initiated Afghanistan – Pakistan transit trade agreement are discussed. Current impediments in expanding trade relations with India are revisited. A perception survey reveals the issues faced by importers and exporters particularly those dealing with Afghanistan and India. We also held detailed focus group discussions where government functionaries and commercial counselors also participated. The policy recommendations are grounded in existing literature and survey results. The report has highlighted the required improvements in infrastructure arrangements to facilitate trade for fostering cooperation in South Asia between Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. However, trade facilitation also requires harmonizing customs procedures and harmonizing the regulatory framework of other controlling authorities at the border crossings. Linkages need to be established among the customs organizations of the respective countries to exchange data so that export document of one country could serve as the import document of the other country. The phytosanitary and other quality standard of the countries need to be exchanged and harmonized to the extent possible to eliminate the technical barriers to trade. Finally the relations between India and Pakistan must be broad-based and allow guarantee towards non-reversal of a liberalized bilateral trading environment. Towards achieving this objective governments on both sides must be helped by the business community and civil society. Pakistan must also realize that while additional investment in trade infrastructure is necessary for sustaining economic growth, an equal emphasis is required to address issues that keep the existing infrastructure underutilized. In its overall infrastructure score, Pakistan is almost in line with its regional competitors, however it fares poorly when it comes to organizing and managing the already available assets

The Impact of Climate Change on Major Agricultural Crops: Evidence from Punjab, Pakistan

It is necessary for a country to make its agriculture sector efficient to enhance food security, quality of life and to promote rapid economic growth. The evidence from least developed countries (LDCs) indicates that agriculture sector accounts for a large share in their gross domestic product (GDP). Thus the development of the economy cannot be achieved without improving the agriculture sector. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan (2011-12) its main natural resource is arable land and agriculture sector’s contribution to the GDP is 21 percent. The agricultural sector absorbs 45 percent of labour force and its share in exports is 18 percent. Given the role of agricultural sector in economic growth and its sensitivity to change in temperature and precipitation it is important to study the impact of climate change on major crops in Pakistan. There are two crops seasons in Pakistan namely, Rabi and Kharif. Rabi crops are grown normally in the months of November to April and Kharif crops are grown from May to October. These two seasons make Pakistan an agricultural economy and its performance depends on the climate during the whole year. Climate change generally affects agriculture through changes in temperature, precipitation

Emergence of Rashba splitting and spin-valley properties in Janus MoGeSiP2As2 and WGeSiP2As2 monolayers

First-principles calculations are performed to study the structural stability and spintronics properties of Janus MoGeSiP2As2 and WGeSiP2As2 monolayers. The high cohesive energies and the stable phonon modes confirm that both these structures are experimentally accessible. In contrast to pristine MoSi2P4, the Janus monolayers demonstrate reduced direct bandgaps and large spin-split states at K/-K. In addition, their spin textures exposed that breaking the mirror symmetry brings Rashba-type spin splitting in the systems which can be increased by using higher atomic spin-orbit coupling. The large valley spin splitting together with the Rashba splitting in these Janus monolayer structures can make a remarkable contribution to semiconductor valleytronics and spintronics