Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

Towards Measuring Disruptive Innovation Across Countries

Christian Rutzer, Dragan Filimonovic, Jeffrey T. Macher, Rolf Weder

Abstract

The CD index is a widely used measure of disruptive inventions. Most studies compute it using USPTO data. This creates a puzzle because the US appears less disruptive than European and Asian countries. We show that this largely stems from missing international citations. Using a global citation network, we quantify and correct this bias. The disruptiveness advantage of non-US inventors drops by 64% to 148% of the US baseline mean. The US emerges as a disruption leader over Europe, with Asia's advantage substantially reduced. Globally integrated citation data are essential for credible measurement of disruptive innovation in international contexts.

Towards Measuring Disruptive Innovation Across Countries

Abstract

The CD index is a widely used measure of disruptive inventions. Most studies compute it using USPTO data. This creates a puzzle because the US appears less disruptive than European and Asian countries. We show that this largely stems from missing international citations. Using a global citation network, we quantify and correct this bias. The disruptiveness advantage of non-US inventors drops by 64% to 148% of the US baseline mean. The US emerges as a disruption leader over Europe, with Asia's advantage substantially reduced. Globally integrated citation data are essential for credible measurement of disruptive innovation in international contexts.
Paper Structure (14 sections, 6 equations, 10 figures, 4 tables)

This paper contains 14 sections, 6 equations, 10 figures, 4 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The $CD$ Index Measurement Puzzle
  3. Analytical Framework and Data
  4. Baseline Results
  5. Robustness Results
  6. $CD$ Index Citation Window Counts and Filing Year
  7. Triadic Patents
  8. Single-Country Inventor Team Restrictions
  9. Different Time Periods
  10. Technological Fields
  11. Conclusion
  12. Distributional Evidence of Citation Bias
  13. Empirical Robustness
  14. Tables

Figures (10)

  • Figure 1: Average Disruptiveness by Country using USPTO Data
  • Figure 2: Citation Coverage and Sample Selection Window.
  • Figure 3: Decomposition of Measurement Bias in Patent Disruptiveness.
  • Figure A.1: Average Disruptiveness Without Patent Family Correction
  • Figure A.2: Cumulative $CD_5$ Distributions by Country and Data Source
  • ...and 5 more figures