Innovation Economics

The Northwestern University Center on Law, Business, and Economics Research Project on Innovation Economics addresses a broad range of important issues involving intellectual property (IP), research and development (R&D), the market for inventions, innovation, and technology standards. Dan Spulber will play the central role in executing this Program. Professor Spulber will oversee the intellectual structure and the practical implementation of the Project through its roundtable meetings, large conferences, and in a special issue of the Journal of Economics & Management Strategy each year. Professor Spulber sums up the aims of the Project in this way: "Technology standards and standards organizations play a central role in Innovation Economics. We have a lot more to learn about the connections between patents, technology standards and innovative activity. This Project will help to fill in that gap."

The Project focuses particular attention on the implications of technology standards including standard-setting organizations, standard-essential patents, and market coordination related to standards. Our objective is to develop theoretical models, empirical analysis, and extensive data sets in Innovation Economics with particular emphasis on standards organizations. The Project will explore the implications of technology standards for competition policy, innovation policy, and the legal and regulatory aspects of IP. The Project will seek to stimulate research in Innovation Economics by scholars at Northwestern University and around the world.

For additional details and resources for the Innovation Economics project, please see the Data, Working Papers, and External Resources links to the left.

The Center on Law, Business, and Economics acknowledges the support of Qualcomm for the Project on Innovation Economics.

Northwestern University Press Release

Innovation Economics Events

Tenth Annual Conference on Innovation Economics
June 22-23, 2017

Fifth Annual Research Roundtable on Patents and Technology Standards
May 4-5, 2017

Ninth Annual Conference on Innovation Economics
June 23-24, 2016

Fourth Annual Research Roundtable on Technology Standards
May 5-6, 2016

Eighth Annual Conference on Innovation Economics
June 18-19, 2015

Third Annual Research Roundtable on Innovation Economics: Patents and Technology Standards: The Data Sets
April 9-10, 2015

Seventh Annual Conference on Innovation Economics
June 19-20, 2014

Research Roundtable on Software and Business Method Patents
April 24-25, 2014

Second Annual Research Roundtable on Innovation and Technology Standards
October 25-26, 2013

Sixth Annual Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
June 6-7, 2013

Research Roundtable on Technology Standards, Innovation, and Market Coordination
February 7-8, 2013