Dissertation defense announcement, Martin Hetu, Strategy and Business Policy

HEC PhD Candidate Martin Hetu, Strategy and Business Policy

We are happy to announce PhD Candidate Martin Hetu's dissertation defense on August 30, 2.00pm.

Specialization: Strategy and Business Policy

Title: Essays on the Cross-Border Implications of Intellectual Property Rights Institutions

Advisor(s): 
Denisa MINDRUTA,  Associate Professor, HEC Paris, Advisor
Will MITCHELL, Professor, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Co-Advisor

Abstract:
This dissertation investigates how technology commercialization and scientist mobility are influenced by the strength of national intellectual property rights (IPR) institutions. More specifically, I examine the impact of IPR institutions on firm investment and entry strategies in technological markets at the national and international levels as well as the mobility of scientists across borders and organisations. I rely on the exogenous invalidation of gene patents by the 2013 United States Supreme Court Myriad decision to develop a difference-in-differences design, with the European Union, where gene patents remained valid, as the control group. Finegrained analyses revealed interesting distinctions 
in firm and scientist behavior in the US and the EU.

First, I found that the reduction in the strength of IPR institutions did not affect technology development investments in aggregate but led to a decrease in investments by pre-shock startups 
and the redeployment of investments from home areas to related new areas by pre-shock established firms.

Second, I found that the reduction in the strength of IPR institutions led 
to an increase in inbound mobility of foreign scientists, mainly driven by highly talented scientists moving into academic organisations. 

Third, I found that the reduction in the strength of IPR institutions had a positive impact on market entry by foreign firms, especially by foreign new entrants