Academy Fellow

Without the creation and adoption of new ideas, productivity with plateau and our economies will stagnate. I aim to present a clear and impartial voice in public discourse about how public policy should support promote the growth of state-of-the-art industries. My research provides clarity about why some economies; some industries; and some firms attempt change more often and why some are more successful than others. My hallmark is the use of large-scale micro datasets to test competing theories.

Despite the centrality of innovation-related issues, there has been limited research on this topic, especially in Australia. This has meant there have been few objective and disinterested views in the public policy space and the field has been left open to rent-seeking behaviour and political whim.

Undertaking this research in Australia has required my team and me to obtain the right to develop and access hitherto inaccessible firm and individual-level datasets. These have included datasets at the level of the firm, scientist and intellectual property right. To date, this approach has led to publications in both national and international journals such as RAND Journal of Economics and Review of Economics and Statistics; Journal of Industrial Economics; Research Policy, The Economic Record and Journal of Law and Economics.

To ensure our research has impact, my team and I have followed an intense outreach strategy to influence policy makers and change the dialogue around industry policy.

With respect to myself, this has involved being an executive of international organisations (former President, European Policy for Intellectual Property Association and the Asia Pacific Innovation Network); being appointed to high-level policy committees and boards (the Victorian Treasurer's Policy Advisory Group; Advisory Council for Intellectual Property; Higher Education Base Funding Review; Commissioner, State Services Authority and the Inquiry into the Australian Automotive Industry; and contributions to public discourse via evidence-based reports for industry and government; submissions to government inquiries; articles for industry or general magazines and events for external audiences.

1. Palangkaraya, A., Jensen, P., and Webster, E. (2017) ‘The effect of patents on trade’ Journal of International Economics, 105, 1-9.
2. de Rassenfosse, G., Palangkaraya, A. and Webster, E. (2016) ‘Why do patents facilitate trade in technology? Testing the disclosure and appropriation effects’, Research Policy, 45, 1326-1336.
3. Greenhalgh, C. and Webster, E. (2015) Have Trademarks Become Deceptive? The WIPO Journal, 6, 109-148.
4. Jensen, P., Palangkaraya, A. and Webster, E. (2015) ‘Trust and the Market for Technology’, Research Policy, 44, 340-356.
5. Webster, E., Palangkaraya, A. and Jensen, P. (2014) Patent Examination Outcomes and the National Treatment Principle, RAND Journal of Economics, 45, 449–469.