In many countries, academic freedom has come under threat in recent years, sparking concerns based on fundamental principles. However, until now, no research had examined whether the level of academic freedom also affects a society’s ability to innovate.

A new study from the Technical University of Munich is the first to explore the connection between academic freedom and innovation. To measure innovation, the researchers looked at patent applications and citations, analyzing data from 157 countries over the period from 1900 to 2015.

The study used two major datasets: the V-Dem Dataset, which includes various democracy indicators dating back to 1789, and the PATSTAT database from the European Patent Office, which tracks patent applications and citations. The V-Dem Institute, in collaboration with FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, has also developed the Academic Freedom Index, which was key to this study.

Freedom helps

The findings are clear: greater academic freedom leads to more innovation. When academic freedom increases, there is a corresponding rise in patent applications and, later, in patent citations.

However, the period from 2011 to 2021 saw a global decline in academic freedom—the first in the last century. This decline also affected the 25 countries with the strongest science foundations. The researchers used their findings to estimate the impact of this decline.

“We predict a global drop of 4% to 6% in innovation capacity, with leading countries facing a decline of 5% to 8%,” the researchers report.

These results serve as a warning. Countries that restrict academic freedom are likely to see a reduction in their ability to develop new technologies and processes, which could hinder progress and prosperity.

Democracy is not immune

The study also notes that this trend is not confined to dictatorships; it is increasingly evident in democratic states where populist parties have gained influence.

To ensure their findings were robust, the researchers conducted several tests. They checked whether the observed correlation was specifically due to academic freedom or could be attributed to general societal freedom. They also ruled out the possibility that countries might allow more academic freedom as a response to low innovation output.

The study’s conclusions held true even when the focus was narrowed to countries with very high or very low numbers of patent applications, when only the post-1980 period was analyzed, or when the analysis was limited to specific aspects of academic freedom.