Do Vibrant Inventors Drive Vibrant Periods of Corporate R&D?
Part Of
IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management
Start Page
1083
End Page
1087
ISSN
21573611
ISBN (of the container)
9798331525217
ISBN
9798331525217
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Abstract
This study explores whether vibrant periods of corporate R&D are driven by "vibrant inventors"- individuals with sustained high activity and continuity in patenting. Using a dual-index framework, we evaluate inventor- and assignee-level vibrancy within the solid-state electrolyte (SSE) domain from 2002 to 2021, focusing on two leading firms: Samsung Electronics and Toyota Motor. By combining longitudinal patent analysis with 2-mode inventor-field network mapping, we examine temporal and structural alignment between individual and organizational innovation. Findings show that Samsung adopts a modular strategy, with vibrant inventors often leading before or during the firm's vibrant periods in subfield-specific bursts. In contrast, Toyota maintains a stable core of vibrant inventors contributing across multiple subfields, reflecting an integrative and sustained R&D approach. These differing strategies demonstrate that vibrant inventors are not incidental but central to innovation persistence. The results underscore how talent deployment and inventive continuity shape long-term corporate R&D vibrancy, offering strategic insights for innovation management and policy.
Event(s)
2025 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, IEEM 2025, 7 December 2025 - 10 December 2025, Melbourne
Subjects
Inventor vibrancy
Patent persistence
Solid-state electrolytes
Publisher
IEEE Computer Society
Type
conference paper