Immigrants Contribution To US Innovations Since 1974

Want to know immigrants contribution to USA innovations? They account for or 30% of all US innovations since 1974. Let’s find out more.

Immigrants typically are viewed as consumers in the economy in contrast to contributors. However, a study shows that since 1974, 30% of all innovations in the USA can be credited to immigrants though they account for only 17% of the total innovator population.

When it comes to patents and patent citations immigrants are much more productive than natives.

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Immigrants Contribution To US Innovations – An Overview

Immigrants play a major role in US innovations. In 2016, immigrants accounted for 23% of all STEM workers. From 1976 to 2012, immigrants account for 16% of US inventions.

From 1990 to 2000, 26% of all US-based Nobel Prize winners were immigrants.

In 2003, a paper estimated that US immigrants with 4-year college degrees are twice as likely to win a US patent as compared to US-born college graduates. The above figures only take into account direct innovations of immigrant inventors.

It does not account for the spillover innovations by native inventors or collaborative innovations. Immigrants also contribute indirectly to innovation by investing in native and immigrant innovation projects.

It could also be assumed that immigrants feel more pressurized to prove their worth.

Read: Can We Expect 9 Million Skilled Job Vacancies In The USA?

Understanding The Innovative Spirit Of Immigrants

The difference between innovations attributed to immigrants and native US citizens has led to studies on the factors that may contribute to this innovative spirit.

One of the reasons for immigrants to innovate more could be their global knowledge. They are thus able to integrate foreign ideas and technologies into the projects.

 Immigrant inventors are also twice as likely to collaborate with inventors outside the USA as compared to native American inventors. Immigrant inventors are also more likely to work with other immigrants.

The high number of innovations attributed to immigrants is one of the reasons why US immigration authorities favour the entry of highly-skilled immigrants into the country.

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