Coordinated by Federico Caviggioli since 2018, the team focuses on the emprical measurement of innovation activities at the individual, firm and regional level, with the aim to investigate the drivers and the dynamics of technology transfer activities, technological specialization/diversification, and the role of key actors to spur innovation and grow. The main topics addressed are:
- Technology Transfer
- University-Industry
- Knowledge Spillovers
- Regional Innovation Systems
- Complexity and Relatedness
- Patentometrics as Measures of Innovation
- Research Productivity
- Gender, Women in Science
The team collaborates with colleagues from Italian (e.g., Politecnico di Milano, Università di Bologna) and foreign universities (e.g., University of Melbourne, WWU Münster) and has a track record of partnerships with organizations such as Banca d’Italia, Camera di Commercio di Torino, and Leonardo spa.
With respect to this research area, several programs have been awarded recently, eg.:
- EIB University Research Sponsorship (EIBURS): “The cleantech industry in the EU Green Deal: policy challenges and the finance landscape for SMEs (CLEU)”. In collaboration with Università di Bologna, Politecnico di Milano (2022-2025).
- Dauphine PSL – Chaire Femmes et Science: “The making of female star innovators: a patent-based analysis of peer effects” (2021-2022).
- European Patent Office EPO: “University research funding, patenting and technological impact” (2018-20). In collaboration with Università di Bologna.
- European Commission JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE – JRC. “Investigating the capabilities and the competitiveness of the EU vis-à-vis its main competitors in developing civil technologies with critical spillovers to the defence sector” – JRC/SVQ/2018/B.3/0026/NC (2018-19).
- European Commission JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE – JRC. “Assessing the innovation capability of EU companies in developing dual-use technologies” – JRC/SVQ/2017/B.3/0032/NC (2017-18).
- European Commission JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE – JRC. “Effectiveness of IPR systems and innovation with digital technologies” JRC/SVQ/2017/B.6/0007/NC (2017-18). In collaboration with Politecnico di Milano.
Recent publications in this research area:
- Caviggioli, F. Colombelli, A., Ravetti, C. (2022). “Gender differences among innovators: a patent analysis of stars”. Economics of Innovation and New Technology.
- Caviggioli, F., & Forthmann, B. (2022). Reach for the stars: disentangling quantity and quality of inventors’ productivity in a multifaceted latent variable model. Scientometrics.
- Caviggioli, F., De Marco, A., Gkotsis, P., Scellato, G. & Vezzani, A. (2022). “Dual use inventions: identification and characterization using patent data”, Economics of Innovation and New Technology.
- Caviggioli, F. Colombelli, A., De Marco, A., Scellato, G., Ughetto, E. (2022). “Co-evolution patterns of university patenting and technological specialization in European regions” The Journal of Technology Transfer.
- Caviggioli, F., De Marco, A., Montobbio, F., & Ughetto, E. (2020). The licensing and selling of inventions by US universities. Technological Forecasting and Social Change.
- Caviggioli, F. Colombelli, A., De Marco, A., Paolucci E. (2020). “How venture capitalists evaluate young innovative company patent portfolios: empirical evidence from Europe”. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research.
- Butticè, V., Caviggioli, F., Franzoni, C., Scellato, G., Stryszowski, P., & Thumm, N. (2020). Counterfeiting in digital technologies: An empirical analysis of the economic performance and innovative activities of affected companies. Research Policy.
- Caviggioli, F, Jensen, P, and Scellato, G. (2020). “Highly skilled migrants and technological diversification in the US and Europe”. Technological Forecasting & Social Change.