When can strong patent regimes boost countries' stocks of inventions and related trade? An analytical model tested in Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa in the energy, environment and pharmaceuticals and related sectors

A framework for assessing countries' promptness to strengthen their patent regimes to boost the stock and commercial exchanges of their inventions is developed using an intellectual capital model and a concept map model. It was tested in Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa in the energy, environment and pharmaceuticals sectors. Thus far, the findings have shown that stronger patent regimes are very likely to bring the complementary users of inventions together (beacon function), to spur coordination of commercial exchanges for inventions (bargain function) and stimulate further inventions when the core components of the intellectual capital and financial capital have expanded to the point that the coordination of exchanges can gain momentum. Some of the innovation policy implications are discussed in the paper.