For computer-related technology, there are two key trends I've noticed since at least circa 2000 with respect to corporate research. One is touched on by the article, the other is missed.
In my own experience, a large part of this is explained by the increasing use of trade secret protections rather than patents for the products of corporate research. This is particularly noticeable around computer science, where the academic literature in many areas is years behind the state-of-the-art in corporate research labs that is never published. The research is still being done, it is just intentionally kept invisible. The declining ability to enforce IP rights globally as a practical matter and the rise of virtualized infrastructures and services, which makes reverse-engineering more difficult, has made this an attractive research monetization strategy.
The other major trend is letting startups drive research activity and taking an equity position in the interesting ones, often as cheaper money than more traditional VCs. It is less expensive for large companies to make a venture capital investment in startups solving a problem they need solved than to do the research themselves. 40% of all venture capital is now corporate VC, which reflects this trend. It reduces R&D risk while also putting those companies much closer to potential acquisition targets.
Basically, this new structure is more efficient and of the corporate research that is being done, much less is being publicly disclosed due to the practical limits on IP protection.
In my own experience, a large part of this is explained by the increasing use of trade secret protections rather than patents for the products of corporate research. This is particularly noticeable around computer science, where the academic literature in many areas is years behind the state-of-the-art in corporate research labs that is never published. The research is still being done, it is just intentionally kept invisible. The declining ability to enforce IP rights globally as a practical matter and the rise of virtualized infrastructures and services, which makes reverse-engineering more difficult, has made this an attractive research monetization strategy.
The other major trend is letting startups drive research activity and taking an equity position in the interesting ones, often as cheaper money than more traditional VCs. It is less expensive for large companies to make a venture capital investment in startups solving a problem they need solved than to do the research themselves. 40% of all venture capital is now corporate VC, which reflects this trend. It reduces R&D risk while also putting those companies much closer to potential acquisition targets.
Basically, this new structure is more efficient and of the corporate research that is being done, much less is being publicly disclosed due to the practical limits on IP protection.