Examining university industry collaboration policy in Japan by patent analysis

Abstract

This study is a quantitative analysis of Japanese patent information to examine the changes in the nature and the outcome of university industry collaborations (UICs) following the enactment of UIC policies in the late 1990s. By considering UIC patents not only in joint university industry patent applications but also in joint inventions organized by university personnel and corporate researchers, we discuss the status of UICs before the incorporation of national universities. Our analysis indicates that these policies increased the number of UIC patents in the late 1990s. However, strong IP policies pursued by universities may reduce the incentive for firms to commercialize inventions resulting from UIC collaborations.