Patterns of innovation during the Industrial Revolution: A reappraisal using a composite indicator of patent quality
| Autor: | Alessandro Nuvolari, Valentina Tartari, Matteo Tranchero |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Economics and Econometrics
History 060106 history of social sciences media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Microinventions Industrial revolution 06 humanities and the arts Composite indicator Macroinventions Patents Core (game theory) Empirical research 0502 economics and business Economics 0601 history and archaeology Quality (business) 050207 economics Positive economics Macro Industrial Revolution Period (music) media_common |
| Popis: | The distinction between macro- and microinventions is at the core of recent debates on the Industrial Revolution. Yet, the empirical testing of this notion has remained elusive. We address this issue by introducing a new quality indicator for all patents granted in England in the period 1700–1850. The indicator provides the opportunity for a large-scale empirical appraisal of macro- and microinventions. Our findings indicate that macroinventions did not exhibit any specific time-clustering, while microinventions were characterized by clustering behavior. In addition, we also find that macroinventions displayed a labor-saving bias and were mostly introduced by professional engineers. These results suggest that Allen’s and Mokyr’s views of macroinventions, rather than conflicting, should be regarded as complementary. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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