The changing geography of the international diffusion of technological knowledge. Economic Research Working Paper No.92

The changing geography of the international diffusion of technological knowledge. Economic Research Working Paper No.92

Research Working Paper

Working paper

61 pages ; [28] cm.

This paper examines the evolving geography of international technological knowledge diffusion over the last four decades using multiple patent-based indicators. We first review the main mechanisms through which knowledge diffuses across borders—including trade and global value chains, foreign direct investment, skilled migration, global science, and markets for technology—highlighting their complementarities and the role of domestic capabilities. We then provide new empirical evidence based on cross-border patent citations, technological trajectories defined by IPC recombinations, patent-to-science linkages, and international patent families. The results reveal persistent asymmetries, with a small group of advanced economies remaining central knowledge hubs, alongside the rising role of emerging countries, especially China. Science-based technologies diffuse farther and faster, while capability constraints continue to limit integration for many regions.

Digital publication.

Economics Working Papers. No. 92

Geneva, Switzerland : World Intellectual Property Organization, 2026.

eng

CC BY 4.0 WIPO

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Economic Research Working Papers