Factors favoring innovation from a regional perspective: A comparison of patents and trademarks

This paper investigates factors associated to a higher likelihood of engaging in Intellectual Property Right (IPR) activities in the 103 Italian provinces for the period 1998–2007. We distinguish between patent and trademark activity and find that their determinants are to some extent different. Both patent and trademark activity are influenced by use of credit, presence of university graduates, and industrial districts. Hence, three types of capital matter for both types of IPR activity: financial, human, and network capital. Higher endowment of social capital only influences trademark activity. We do not find an impact of entrepreneurship capital. Patent activity appears to be influenced relatively more strongly by financial and network capital, and trademark activity relatively more strongly by human and social capital.