The design of national innovation systems has attracted attention from scholars and policymakers. Firms, universities and government organisations (including public research institutes) are defined as the three major players of the national innovation system and interactions between the players are considered the key of the national innovation system. However, public research institutes are relatively understudied compared to firms and universities even though their contribution in the national innovation system is not trivial. Aiming at understanding detailed process rather than testing hypotheses, the findings of this article shed practical information regarding innovation process in public research institutes. Focusing on the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Fraunhofer) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI), this article analyses and compares innovation processes of public research institutes with their patent data. Based on findings, this study further discusses issues for better management of public research institutes.
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