Global innovation network patterns of Japanese companies based in ASEAN countries

In the era of globalization, multinational companies (MNCs) conduct innovation in a global network. Japanese companies also conduct innovation in a global network. Since, among the nations across the globe, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hold significant economic importance for Japan, this paper discusses the innovation network patterns of Japanese companies in all ten ASEAN countries. In order to analyze this phenomenon, this paper used the international patent application data based on the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) held by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Specifically, the paper retrieved the patent application whose applicant is a Japanese company with at least one inventor in a specific ASEAN country. The paper has found that Japanese companies conduct innovation through the collaboration between a host country and Japan most frequently for any ASEAN country. For Vietnam and the Philippines, Japanese companies conduct innovation in a host country alone as frequently as the collaboration between a host country and Japan.