Does patenting help or hinder open innovation? Evidence from new entrants in the solar industry

This article analyzes how the patent stock of new entrants in industries shaped by systemic innovations influences their subsequent openness in innovation. The results suggest that patenting increases new entrants’ number of open innovation relationships, on average. This association, however, varies across relationships of differing technology intensity. While the effect of patenting is strongly positive for technology-intensive relationships, it becomes weaker as the technology intensity decreases, and turns negative for least technology-intensive relationships.

This article analyzes how the patent stock of new entrants in industries shaped by systemic innovations influences their subsequent openness in innovation. The results suggest that patenting increases new entrants’ number of open innovation relationships, on average. This association, however, varies across relationships of differing technology intensity. While the effect of patenting is strongly positive for technology-intensive relationships, it becomes weaker as the technology intensity decreases, and turns negative for least technology-intensive relationships.