This thesis examines the spatial distribution of patent activity and the effect that agglomeration and industrial diversity have on the likelihood and rate of patenting within U.S. counties. To examine patent activity we use a cross section of utility patents granted to U.S. and non-U.S. non-government organizations for each county in the contiguous U.S. during 1997. We analyze the effects that socio-economic characteristics of each county, including density, human capital, industrial diversity, and University R&D expenditures have on patent production. We find that two agglomeration measures, the density of the local labor pool as well as the density of establishments within an industry, contribute positively to innovative activity. In addition, we find that the likelihood and frequency of patent activity increase in counties that have a diverse set of industries.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis examines the spatial distribution of patent activity and the effect that agglomeration and industrial diversity have on the likelihood and rate of patenting within U.S. counties. To examine patent activity we use a cross section of utility patents granted to U.S. and non-U.S. non-government organizations for each county in the contiguous U.S. during 1997. We analyze the effects that socio-economic characteristics of each county, including density, human capital, industrial diversity, and University R&D expenditures have on patent production. We find that two agglomeration measures, the density of the local labor pool as well as the density of establishments within an industry, contribute positively to innovative activity. In addition, we find that the likelihood and frequency of patent activity increase in counties that have a diverse set of industries.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rogers, Dustin Neil"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Moore School of Business","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Douglas Woodward","Paulo Guimaraes"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:37Z","subjects":["Economics","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2012, Dustin Neil Rogers"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/923","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Douglas Woodward","Paulo Guimaraes"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rogers, Dustin Neil"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Moore School of Business"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Economics","Social and Behavioral Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2012, Dustin Neil Rogers"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/923"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis examines the spatial distribution of patent activity and the effect that agglomeration and industrial diversity have on the likelihood and rate of patenting within U.S. counties. To examine patent activity we use a cross section of utility patents granted to U.S. and non-U.S. non-government organizations for each county in the contiguous U.S. during 1997. We analyze the effects that socio-economic characteristics of each county, including density, human capital, industrial diversity, and University R&D expenditures have on patent production. We find that two agglomeration measures, the density of the local labor pool as well as the density of establishments within an industry, contribute positively to innovative activity. In addition, we find that the likelihood and frequency of patent activity increase in counties that have a diverse set of industries.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effects of Agglomeration On the Likelihood and Frequency of Patenting In U.S. Counties"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Douglas Woodward","Paulo Guimaraes"],"dc:creator":["Rogers, Dustin Neil"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis examines the spatial distribution of patent activity and the effect that agglomeration and industrial diversity have on the likelihood and rate of patenting within U.S. counties. To examine patent activity we use a cross section of utility patents granted to U.S. and non-U.S. non-government organizations for each county in the contiguous U.S. during 1997. We analyze the effects that socio-economic characteristics of each county, including density, human capital, industrial diversity, and University R&D expenditures have on patent production. We find that two agglomeration measures, the density of the local labor pool as well as the density of establishments within an industry, contribute positively to innovative activity. In addition, we find that the likelihood and frequency of patent activity increase in counties that have a diverse set of industries.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/923"],"dc:rights":["© 2012, Dustin Neil Rogers"],"dc:subject":["Economics","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"dc:title":["The Effects of Agglomeration On the Likelihood and Frequency of Patenting In U.S. Counties"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Moore School of Business"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:37Z"}