Regional distribution, mobility and productivity of french prolific inventors

In this paper we present empirical evidence about some geographical characteristics of French prolific inventors through an analysis of French patents depos- its at the USPTO over a long time period (1975-2002). We found out that they are highly concentrated in the French space around three regional poles (Ile de France, Rhône- Alpes and PACA) and that inter-firms and geographic (regional) mobility is weak. Our estimates show that more mobile inventors (inter-firms) are more productive after con- trolling for effects of geomobility (with other control variables). By contrast, the more geomobile inventors are less productive after controlling for inter-firms’ mobility ef- fects. It means that the geographic dimension of mobility does not bring more effective- ness in the individual process of creativity. We must bear in mind there is a bias of si- multaneity within the relationship productivity/mobility that is not dealt with here.