Title: Does Democratizing Search for Relevant Patent Information Facilitate Knowledge Recombination?

Speaker: Leixing Jiang, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Alberta

Time: 10:45-11:30, Oct 30th, 2026 (Friday)

Venue: Online Meeting

Language: Chinese & English

Abstract:

This study examines whether reducing search costs for relevant patent information increases corporate innovation. I exploit the 2013 adoption of the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) by U.S. and European patent authorities as a natural experiment. The CPC harmonizes patent classification across jurisdictions without altering the underlying disclosures, thereby reducing the cost of identifying relevant prior patents. Following the CPC adoption, public U.S. firms with greater exposure to non-English European patents experience larger increases in innovation activity relative to less exposed firms. This gain is driven by improved efficiency in knowledge recombination: firms generate more output per unit of cumulative R&D, rely on more related prior knowledge in developing innovations, and increase their use of European patents. The effects are stronger among firms facing greater pre-existing information barriers and are partially offset by European import competition. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of searchability in patent disclosure in facilitating innovation.

Short biography:

Leixing Jiang is a Ph.D. candidate in Accounting at the University of Alberta, expecting to graduate in May 2027. His research interests include innovation, human capital, and corporate disclosure. He holds a bachelor's degree in Finance and a Master of Accounting from Tulane University.