ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an empirical evaluation of the relationship between participation in European research joint ventures (RJVs) and patenting activity, in two high tech fields that are receiving increasing attention and funding from European institutions: information and communication technology (ICT) and medical and biotechnology (MB). In the ICT area, the remarkable performance in patenting of RJV members compared to non-participating firms can be mostly explained by self selection of innovative actors. This is in line with the main aim of ICT programmes, that is, attracting the industry big players and providing a common technological basis for IT application. On the other hand, there is clear and robust evidence of a positive effect of RJV affiliation in the emerging MB field, where European consortia appear to have attracted firms with a high potential for innovation. The findings from this evaluation suggest that the analysis of industry dynamics should be central in the design of policy and evaluation of policy targets and achievements.
