Published version
Abstract

This paper investigates the long-term effects of trade liberalization on innovation in developing economies during the Great Liberalization period (1980–1992). Using a two-way fixed effects model and the Sachs et al. (1995) classification, it examines several proxies for innovation, including patent counts, industrial design applications, research and development expenditure, and labor productivity. Examining resident and non-resident patent applications separately distinguishes genuine domestic innovation responses from formal registration effects induced by the contemporaneous TRIPS agreement. Trade liberalization significantly increases measured innovation, with effects persisting for up to 30 years after liberalization.

Citation

Chávez, C. (2026). “Did the Uruguay Round Spark Innovation? Evidence from Developing Countries Using Patent Data.” Journal of Business, 17(2). Universidad del Pacífico. https://doi.org/10.21678/jb.2026.2978

Keywords

International Trade, Innovation, Trade Liberalization, Patents, TRIPS, Development Economics