Human genetic technology: exploring the links between science and innovation

Abstract

This paper reports on a study of the extremely strong linkage between human genetic technology (HGT), as represented by patents in the field of human molecular and cell technology, and the underlying research science base, a represented by the references cited on these patents. The study procedures provide a useful demonstration for tracking how specific funding agencies' support for fundamental research wends its my into the intellectual property system, and leads to the development of economically and industrially important technologies. Specifically, a set of 1105 US patents in the field of human molecular and cell technology grantd batween 1988 and 1992 was identified, and the references cited on the front page of these patent traced through to the specific cited research papers and patents. The study used a novel scheave to classify the patents, and to capture the links between patents and papers, including the nationality If the, patent inventors, and the institutional origin and funding acknowledgement in the cited papers, HGT was shown to be the most heavily science-linked area of patented technology; HGT patents cited scientific papers as prior art six times as often as they cited US patents as prior art. Furthermore, the scienlific papers cited as prior art were of a fundamental nature (i.e, not applied science), providing , new evidence of the role of curiosity-driven research in feeding the innovation process. In addition, the local science base, particularly in the UK; was shown to be of significant importance in national patending activities, although the UK share of world HGT patents was not as high as would have been expected, given the intensity of scientific research on this topic in the UK.