Exploring the Interplay of the Science and Technology in the Developments of Hybrid Industries: A Patent-based Analysis of the Bioinformatics Industry

This research explores how the interaction of science and technology played a major role in shaping the rise and development of the bioinformatics industry. Two research questions are investigated: 1) to what extent does science contribute to the development of bioinformatics inventions? 2) What is the likelihood for a bioinformatics invention to be cited with respect to the scientific and technological diversity contained? To answer these questions, we carried out an analysis of both non-patent and patent references contained into bioinformatics patents. Then, we performed a logistic regression model by using as binary dependent variable the likelihood to generate radicalness and as independent variables the scientific and technology Shannon-Wiener diversity index, plus a number of controls. What emerges is that the bioinformatics industry has scientific origins, but still today it is a technological-driven field. However, even if the technological activities prevail, science seems to have highly predictive power to generate radicalness and has a relevant role to let influential researchers emerging as well.