INCENTIVES TO INNOVATE AND THE SOURCES OF INNOVATION - THE CASE OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

In this study we explore the relationship between the sources of innov ation and incentives to innovate in a sample of 64 innovations related to Auger and Esca, two types of scientific instrument used to analyze the surface chemistry of solid materials. We find that innovations wi th high scientific importance tend to be developed by instrument users , while innovations having high commercial importance tend to be devel oped by instrument manufacturers. We also find that the ratio of user and manufacturer innovation affecting a given type of instrument can v ary as a function of that instrument type's perceived scientific and c ommercial importance. Finally, we find that the scientific and commerc ial importance of innovations developed for Auger and Esca, and the fr equency with which these have been developed, have varied significantl y over time.