International mobility of inventors and innovation: Empirical evidence from the collapse of the Soviet Union

de Rassenfosse, GaetanPellegrino, Gabriele2024-02-202024-02-202024-02-202023-11-1610.1016/j.econlet.2023.111450https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/204527WOS:001117729300001This paper assesses the extent to which the international migration of inventors affects innovation in the receiving country. Drawing on a novel database that maps the migratory patterns of inventors, we exploit the end of the Soviet Union and the consequent post-1992 influx of ex-Soviet inventors to the United States. Econometric analysis on a panel of U.S. cities and technological fields shows that the patenting activity of U.S. inventors increased significantly after the arrival of ex-Soviet Union inventors.Geographic MobilityInnovationInventorsPatentsInternational mobility of inventors and innovation: Empirical evidence from the collapse of the Soviet Uniontext::journal::journal article::research article