Patterns of knowledge flow from industrialized to Latin American and Asian countries in the pharmaceutical industry: a patent citation analysis

espanolEn este articulo se examinan los patrones del flujo de conocimiento tecnologico en el sector de la industria farmaceutica de paises de la Union Europea, Japon y los Estados Unidos a paises emergentes de America Latina y Asia seleccionados, utilizando la cita de patentes como un indicador proxy. Se estima un modelo de difusion de conocimiento con base en las patentes concedidas por la USPTO a residentes y no residentes en este campo tecnologico. La proximidad tecnologica de los paises de America Latina y Asia en relacion a Estados Unidos resulto ser menor respecto a los paises de la Union Europea y Japon, debido al hecho de que la cantidad de patentes citables es mucho mayor en el pais de America del Norte. Pese a la cercania geografica de Mexico con Estados Unidos, no exis-te necesariamente una proximidad tecnologica. Sin embargo, la proximidad tecnologica entre los paises emergentes de Asia y los paises industrializados, en especial de la Union Europea y Japon, es evidente y se explica por varias razones. Entre estas estan las inver-siones extranjeras de paises industrializados a las economias emergentes y sus respectivas externalidades. EnglishThis paper examines the patterns of knowledge flow from European Union countries, Japan and the United States to a selection of emerging countries from Latin America and Asia in the pharmaceutical industry, using patent citation as an indicator. A knowledge diffusion model was estimated with data based on USPTO patents granted to resident and non-resident holders in this technological field. Technological proximity of Latin Ame-rican and Asian countries vis-a-vis the United States was found to be lower due to the fact that the quantity of citable patents is much greater than that coming from the Euro-pean Union and Japan. Even though geographically Mexico is the closest country to the United States, there is not necessarily greater technological closeness. Furthermore, there are several reasons why there is technological proximity between Asian and industriali-zed countries, particularly from the European Union and Japan. One reason is the direct foreign investment of industrialized countries in emerging economies, technology transfer and their respective externalities.