Patent analysis and M&A operations in the Agbiotech : a possible key to understand different strategies of bioeconomy firms?

Since 1980 the pattern of agriculture R&D changed dramatically as an effect of the introduction of innovative research tools and technologies like molecular approach to plant breeding. One of the main effects of this change is the growing role of private research with a proliferation of IP rights, particularly as regards agbiotech innovation. At the same time the agrobiochemical sector has faced a concentration involving seed, plant protection and specialized agbiotech (often spin-off) firms. Objective of this work is the study of the business strategies through patent data from 1980 to 2010. The main M&A operations are examined comparing the patent portfolios ex-ante and ex-post. Starting from a data-set of about 55.000 patents, covering all the world patent systems, and a classification for technological areas, the analysis intends to evaluate the existence of different strategic pathways through the time and between the different actors. Concerning mainly the leader multinational firms, a particular focus is also devoted to the most important agbiotech spin-offs (as Plant Genetic Systems and Cropdesign)