EVALUATING TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAMS - THE USE OF COMPARISON GROUPS TO IDENTIFY IMPACTS

This paper discusses the pros and cons of alternative comparison group s for evaluating technology innovation programs, and focuses specifica lly on the selection of a comparison group for the evaluation of the U .S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy-Related Inventions Program (ER IP). The pros and cons of five alternative comparison group options ar e discussed, including: inventor societies, innovation and incubator c enters, patent holders, near-participants, and program referrals. Prog ram referrals are selected as a suitable comparison group for evaluati ng the Energy-Related Inventions Program. Data collected on ERIP parti cipants and referrals provide strong evidence that ERIP-supported tech nologies achieved their considerable commercial success, at least in p art because of the support provided by the DOE. There are large differ ences between the program referrals and the ERIP participants in terms of several indicators of commercial success. For example, average dol lar sales by ERIP participants are an order of magnitude greater than the program referral group. This paper illustrates that the simultaneo us tracking of program participants and a matched comparison group can enhance the evaluation of technology innovation programs by helping t o isolate the effects of the government program from the host of other factors that influence the commercialization of inventions.