Gaétan Jean A de Rassenfosse

Expertise I am an economist of innovation and intellectual property, studying how how legal and policy frameworks shape the creation and commercialization of new technologies. My expertise spans innovation and technology policy, IP strategy and regulation, the measurement of R&D and intangible assets, technology transfer, and competition issues around standard-setting and licensing. Methodologically, I work with large-scale administrative and digital data—especially on patents and scientific publications—using applied econometrics, causal inference, and machine learning to produce evidence that is useful to policymakers, firms, and courts. Mission Our lab studies how innovation systems work, with a focus on the economics and policy of intellectual property and technology commercialization. We combine large-scale patent and publication data with advanced econometrics and machine learning to measure innovation, assess the value and quality of patents, and understand how ideas diffuse through markets and technologies. Working at the intersection of academia, policy, and practice, we aim to generate rigorous, data-driven evidence that helps governments design better innovation policies and helps firms and other stakeholders make more informed decisions about protecting and deploying new technologies. Before joining EPFL, Gaétan de Rassenfosse developed his expertise in innovation economics and intellectual property at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of Melbourne. He obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, during which he spent one year in the Chief Economist team at the European Patent Office working on patent statistics and policy analysis. He then held a postdoctoral position at the University of Melbourne (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research), where he extended this work using large-scale data on R&D, intellectual property, and innovation policy. Teaching & PhD PhD Students Atin Aboutorabi, Euan John Richardson Past EPFL PhD Students Omar Ballester Gonzalez, Ling Zhou, Matthias van den Heuvel, George Abi Younes Courses Introduction to economics of innovation MGT-303 This class will provide students with an understanding of some real-world issues related to the "knowledge economy". Why should we innovate as a society? Why innovation doesn't just happen and how can the government help firms innovate? We will answer these questions and others using economic tools. Management of intellectual property MGT-404 This class provides an introduction to the management of intellectual property (IP), primarily patents. It covers strategic and legal considerations related to IP. The class relies on formal lectures, case studies, speakers, and a project. Awards The Boston Consulting Group Perspectives Prize 0 Research Fellow grant BE 2006 McKinsey Scientific Award 2010 Faculty Research Grant U. of Melbourne 2011 International Geneva (IG) Award Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) 2019