The Effects of Terrorist Attacks on Inventor Productivity and Mobility

Fich, Eliezer M.; Nguyen, Tung; Petmezas, Dimitris

Abstract

We investigate the impact of deadly terrorist attacks on inventor productivity and mobility in the U.S. During the five-year window after such events, nearby firms generate fewer and less impactful inventions. Moreover, their inventors typically exhibit a post-attack decline in their patent production, unless they move to a distant company (which some tend to do after an attack). Firms’ financial constraints and inventor talent appear to provide channels underlying our productivity and mobility findings, respectively. These results provide novel insights about the impact of shocks that distort the invention process and promote the mobility and reallocation of inventors among firms.

Citation

Fich, E. M., Nguyen, T., & Petmezas, D. (2023). The Effects of Terrorist Attacks on Inventor Productivity and Mobility. Research Policy, 52(1), Article 104655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2022.104655

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 5, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 17, 2022
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Deposit Date: Oct 6, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Journal: Research Policy
• Print ISSN: 0048-7333
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-7625
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 104655
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2022.104655
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1189886