Patenting patterns in 25 large multinational enterprises

This paper analyzes 27,700 patented inventions held by 25 multinational enterprises (MNEs). These MNEs hold the highest number of Canadian patents. The study reveals that R&D and patenting activities are highly centralized, but patenting is much more centralized than R&D activity. Patents are mostly secured by the MNEs' headquarters when an appreciable share of R&D is carried out at foreign locations. R&D facilities of most Amcrican MNEs arc concentrated in only two or three countries, while Europeans show a larger dispersion pattern. On average, foreign R&D accounts for 7% of patents for American MNEs and 26% for European MNEs. The two Japanese MNEs show that R&D is still a highly centralized activity in Japan.