PHILIPP BOEING
CURRENT RESEARCH (SELECTION)
The Misuse of China's R&D Subsidies: Estimating Treatment Effects With One-Sided Non-compliance
(with B. Peters)
We investigate the misappropriation of R&D subsidies and evaluate its consequences for policy effectiveness. Using Chinese firm-level data for 2001-2011, we identify that 42% of grantees misused R&D subsidies, accounting for 53% of total R&D subsidies. Misappropriation leads to a substantial loss of the causal impact of R&D subsidies, as measured by the difference of the intention-to-treat effect and complier average causal effect. Results show that R&D expenditures could have been stimulated beyond the subsidy amount (additionality), but noncompliance has resulted in medium-level partial crowding out. Overall, misappropriation has reduced the effectiveness of China’s R&D policy by more than half.
The Anatomy of Chinese Innovation: Insights on Patent Quality and Ownership Funded by BMBF
(with L. Brandt, R. Dai, K. Lim, B. Peters)
We study the evolution of patenting in China from 1985-2019. We use a Large Language Model to measure patent importance based on patent abstracts and classify patent ownership using a comprehensive business registry. We highlight four insights. First, average patent importance declined from 2000-2010 but has increased more recently. Second, private Chinese firms account for most of patenting growth whereas overseas patentees have played a diminishing role. Third, patentees have greatly reduced their dependence on foreign knowledge. Finally, Chinese and foreign patentinghave become more similar in technological composition, but differences persist within technology classes as revealed by abstract similarities.
Global Influence of Inventions and Technology Sovereignty (Revise & resubmit with Research Policy) Funded by BMBF
(with E. Mueller)
We study the technology sovereignty of Europe, the US, China, Japan, and Korea. By examining citations from PCT patents filed from 2000-2020, we assess the bilateral and global influence of inventions. We highlight four insights. First, the US shows superior technology sovereignty through its leadership in bilateral and global influence. Second, the US and Europe are highly integrated, but their global positions differ due to Europe’s bilateral dependence on all countries except China. Third, while Japan has shown a recent decline from its former leading position, Korea has maintained its global influence. Finally, although China has filed the most patents in recent years, its dependence on all other countries amounts to the highest global dependence.