Science-technology linkages in an emerging research platform: The case of combinatorial chemistry and biology

This article focuses on issues concerning science and technology relationsh ips posed by the emergence of a new drug discovery method, namely, combinat orial chemistry and biology. We assess the scientific content of combinator ial chemistry and biology using citations in patents to scientific journals and compare this research platform with biotechnology. We also identify th e institutional affiliation of all the authors of the cited papers, which l eads us to an analysis of knowledge spillovers between the main participant s in the research network. Finally, we examine the relevance of localisatio n in the process of knowledge exchange with regard to EU countries and the US. The result of the analysis provides evidence to support the view that t he inventive capacity of a country is dependent upon the basic research whi ch is carried out, especially in universities and public research centres l ocated in the inventor's country.