Trademarks as an indicator of regional innovation: Evidence from Japanese prefectures

Regional science has long been concerned with measuring the spatial distribution of innovation activity. While patents are frequently used as an indicator of regional innovation, we introduce trademarks as an additional indicator. Specifically, we explore the spatial distribution of trademark applications using a detailed and comprehensive dataset of 47 Japanese prefectures from 1999 to 2012. In addition to mapping differences in trademarks across regions, we identify correlates at the regional level that provide initial insights into potential determinants of regional innovation. For example, regional trademark activity is positively associated with regional entrepreneurship and with strong private service and finance sectors. Overall, our results reveal associations unique to trademarks that patent-based measures of innovation cannot uncover. With these results, we contribute to research in regional science and to the evolving literature on trademarks of this discipline.