Novel science for novel technology?

Abstract

This paper explores the complex relationship between scientific novelty and technology impact, where we measure recombinant novel science as publications which make new combinations of prior knowledge and trace links between science and technology by scientific references in patent applications. We draw on all the SCIE journal articles published in 2001 and all the patents in PATSTAT version 201310. We find that only a small proportion (about 10%) of scientific publications are directly referenced as prior art in subsequent technological inventions, but a small number of scientific papers which score on novelty (about 11%) are significantly more likely to have direct technological impact compared to similar non-novel papers, particularly the 1% highly novel scientific papers. In addition to this superior likelihood of direct impact, novel science also has a higher probability for indirect technological impact, being more likely to be cited by other scientific papers which have technological impact. Among the set of scientific papers cited at least once by patents, there are no additional significant differences in the speed or the intensity of the technological impact between novel and non-novel scientific prior art, but the technological impact from novel science is significantly broader and reaching new technology fields previously non-impacted by its scientific discipline. Novel science is also significantly more likely to be impacting technology inventions which are themselves recombinant novel.