Historical patent data for migration and innovation studies: evidence from the US

This chapter explores the link between migration and innovation during the Age of Mass Migration, when over 30 million Europeans moved to the United States. Recent literature has linked the massive immigration flows of this period to the long-term technological and scientific development of the US. Similarly, the end of mass migration has been associated with a decline in inventive activity in the country. This chapter reviews existing quantitative studies on this topic, focussing primarily on those using patent data, and introduces MIGPAT, a new historical dataset that combines US Patent and Trademark Office records with additional information. By analysing this dataset, the chapter provides insights into the geographic and technological patterns of US immigrant inventor activity and how these patterns have evolved over time. The discussion highlights the strengths and weaknesses of other existing datasets and outlines future directions for research on migration and innovation.