Global Mobile Inventors

Where do the world's most innovative minds come from, and where do they go? Using comprehensive patent data covering millions of inventors across decades, this paper maps the global flows of innovative talent and examines how mobility shapes innovation outcomes in both sending and receiving countries.

We develop new methods to track inventors across borders by linking patent records over time, revealing striking patterns in global talent flows. The United States emerges as the dominant destination for mobile inventors, but we also document significant South-South migration corridors and the rise of new innovation hubs. Importantly, we find that inventor mobility is not a zero-sum game: countries that send inventors abroad often benefit from knowledge spillbacks.

Our analysis has important implications for immigration and innovation policy. Countries seeking to boost their innovative capacity should consider not only attracting foreign talent but also facilitating the return and circulation of their diaspora inventors. The findings challenge simplistic narratives about 'brain drain' and suggest a more nuanced picture of global knowledge flows.