About this Event
About the speaker
Professor Bronwyn H. Hall is one of the world’s leading scholars in the economics of innovation, technological change, and intellectual property. She is Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Professor Hall has also held affiliations with institutions including Maastricht University and the University of Oxford, and her work has influenced generations of scholars working across economics, law, innovation studies, and public policy.
Her research on patents, R&D, innovation systems, and economic development has been hugely influential internationally, informing debates not only in academia but also within governments, international organisations, and innovation policy circles. Widely recognised for her empirical and interdisciplinary approach to innovation research, Professor Hall’s work continues to shape contemporary discussions on intellectual property, technological development, and the future of innovation economies.
About the event
The lecture will take as its starting point Professor Hall’s article, “Patents, Innovation, and Development” (2024), published in the International Review of Applied Economics. Drawing on aggregate evidence and extensive empirical research, the lecture will explore whether patents genuinely function as drivers of economic growth and innovation in developing economies, or whether the benefits of patent protection may in some contexts be outweighed by its broader economic and social costs.
Bringing together perspectives from innovation economics, intellectual property, and development policy, the discussion will examine patterns of patent use across developing countries, the role of technology diffusion and innovation systems, and the uneven impact of intellectual property regimes across different economic contexts. Particular attention will also be given to the position of major economies such as China and to broader questions concerning global innovation, technological capacity, and economic development.
As always with SCRIPT events, we hope this lecture will spark conversation across disciplines and communities. The event will be of interest not only to colleagues and students working in law and technology, but also to those interested in innovation, economics, public policy, digital governance, and the societal implications of technological change.
We very much hope colleagues, students, researchers, and friends of SCRIPT will join us for what promises to be a fascinating discussion. Please do share the event around with anyone who might enjoy a good conversation on innovation, patents, economics, and technology!
Event location
Usha Kasera Lecture Theatre
Old College
Image credit: Magnific
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Edinburgh Law School, South Bridge, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
USD 0.00
