Published

Peer-reviewed publications

Like Stars: How Firms Learn at Scientific Conferences

Forthcoming at Management Science
Discussion paper: Here SSRN

with Stefano Baruffaldi

(Older version entitled ‘A Firm Scientific Community: Industry Participation and Knowledge Diffusion’: IZA DP)

Citation counts by type of authors’ affiliation and conference rank — **Abstract** Scientific conferences are an underexplored channel by which firms learn from science. Although attendance per se may be sufficient to lower search costs in relation to scientific knowledge, we show that active participation and corporate investments in reputation are necessary to establish the personal connections that act as the key learning channel. Using data from conference papers in computer science since the 1990s, we show that corporate investments in participation are both frequent and highly skewed, some firms contributing to a given conference scientifically, some as sponsors, and some doing both. We use direct flights as an instrumental variable for the probability that other scientists participate in the same conference as a firm and find that this increases the firm’s use of the scientists’ knowledge. However, the most significant benefits accrue if the firm seeks the spotlight by both sponsoring the conference and taking part in its scientific discourse. Additional analyses show that these efforts foretell research collaborations and suggest that participation is more relevant in circumstances where the conference helps to trigger personal interactions, even when knowledge search costs are otherwise low.

Geographic distribution of contributions — **Abstract** Scientific conferences are an underexplored channel by which firms learn from science. Although attendance per se may be sufficient to lower search costs in relation to scientific knowledge, we show that active participation and corporate investments in reputation are necessary to establish the personal connections that act as the key learning channel. Using data from conference papers in computer science since the 1990s, we show that corporate investments in participation are both frequent and highly skewed, some firms contributing to a given conference scientifically, some as sponsors, and some doing both. We use direct flights as an instrumental variable for the probability that other scientists participate in the same conference as a firm and find that this increases the firm’s use of the scientists’ knowledge. However, the most significant benefits accrue if the firm seeks the spotlight by both sponsoring the conference and taking part in its scientific discourse. Additional analyses show that these efforts foretell research collaborations and suggest that participation is more relevant in circumstances where the conference helps to trigger personal interactions, even when knowledge search costs are otherwise low.

Profit Taxation, R&D Spending and Innovation

Lichter, Andreas, Max Löffler, Ingo E. Isphording, Thu-Van Nguyen, Felix Poege, and Sebastian Siegloch. 2025. “Profit Taxation, R&D Spending, and Innovation.” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 17 (1): 432–63.

Paper: AEJ: EP
Discussion Paper: SSRN CEPR
Coverage: VoxEU

The Effect of a Business Tax Increase on Total R&D Spending — **Abstract** We study how profit taxes affect establishments’ R&D activities. Relying on detailed panel data of R&D-active firms in Germany over two decades, we exploit identifying variation induced by more than 10,000 municipal changes in the local business tax rate and federal tax reforms with locally varying effects. Using event-study techniques, we find a sizable, negative effect of profit taxes on establishments’ total R&D spending and patents filed. Zooming into the innovation production process, we uncover substantial heterogeneity in the impact of profit taxation for various R&D input factors, among firm characteristics, and for different types of research projects.

Science quality and the value of inventions

Poege, Felix, Dietmar Harhoff, Fabian Gaessler, and Stefano Baruffaldi. 2019. “Science Quality and the Value of Inventions.” Science Advances 5 (12): eaay7323.
Paper: Science Advances
Coverage: Research Europe

with Dietmar Harhoff, Fabian Gaessler and Stefano Baruffaldi

SNPL references by science quality — **Abstract** Despite decades of research, the relationship between the quality of science and the value of inventions has remained unclear. We present the result of a large-scale matching exercise between 4.8 million patent families and 43 million publication records. We find a strong positive relationship between the quality of the scientific contributions referenced in patents and the value of the respective inventions. We rank patents by the quality of the science to which they are linked. Strikingly, high-ranking patents are twice as valuable as low-ranking patents, which, in turn, are about as valuable as patents without a direct science link. We show this core result for various science quality and patent value measures. The effect of science quality on patent value remains relevant even when science is linked indirectly through other patents. Our findings imply that what is considered excellent within the science sector also leads to outstanding outcomes in the technological and commercial realms.

Patent value by SNPL science quality — **Abstract** Despite decades of research, the relationship between the quality of science and the value of inventions has remained unclear. We present the result of a large-scale matching exercise between 4.8 million patent families and 43 million publication records. We find a strong positive relationship between the quality of the scientific contributions referenced in patents and the value of the respective inventions. We rank patents by the quality of the science to which they are linked. Strikingly, high-ranking patents are twice as valuable as low-ranking patents, which, in turn, are about as valuable as patents without a direct science link. We show this core result for various science quality and patent value measures. The effect of science quality on patent value remains relevant even when science is linked indirectly through other patents. Our findings imply that what is considered excellent within the science sector also leads to outstanding outcomes in the technological and commercial realms.

Estimating measures of multidimensional poverty with Stata

The Stata Journal (2017) 17, Number 3, pp. 687–703
Paper: Stata Journal

with Daniele Pacifico

Abstract In this article, we describe the multidimensional poverty measures developed by Alkire and Foster (2011, Journal of Public Economics 95: 476–487) and show how they can be computed with Stata by using the mpi command.

Other publications

Linked Inventor Biography Data 1980-2014 (INV-BIO ADIAB 8014)

FDZ Data Report, No. 03/2018
Paper: IAB

with Matthias Dorner, Dietmar Harhoff, Fabian Gaessler and Karin Hoisl

Used in project Filling the Gap: The Consequences of Collaborator Loss in Corporate R&D.