UTB-CBIRD Report: “At <strong>The</strong> Crossroads” Economic Development 141 Table 5.18 lists the number <strong>of</strong> p<strong>at</strong>ents 1 registered in selected metropolitan areas in <strong>Texas</strong> from 1990-1999. <strong>The</strong> border MSAs representing Cameron, Hidalgo, Webb Counties show the lowest number <strong>of</strong> p<strong>at</strong>ents: 59, 37, and 14 respectively. On a per capita basis, these figures remain <strong>at</strong> the low end <strong>of</strong> the scale: Cameron County registered .176, Hidalgo County .065, and Webb County .072. San Antonio and Austin MSAs have the highest number <strong>of</strong> total p<strong>at</strong>ents, Figure 5.22. <strong>The</strong>se two hi-tech industry cluster centers also have the largest popul<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> the areas listed, and therefore the largest number <strong>of</strong> universities, industries, and other infrastructures to facilit<strong>at</strong>e research and new product development. Table 5.18. P<strong>at</strong>ents 1990–1999, Per Capita Basis (Total P<strong>at</strong>ents per MSA Popul<strong>at</strong>ion) Total Popul<strong>at</strong>ion P<strong>at</strong>ents P<strong>at</strong>ents (000) /1,000 Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX MSA (Cameron Co.) 59 335,227 0.176 El Paso MSA (El Paso Co.) 209 679,622 0.308 Laredo, TX MSA (Webb Co.) 14 193,117 0.072 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA (Hidalgo Co.) 37 569,463 0.065 Amarillo, TX MSA (Potter, Randall Co.) 147 217,858 0.657 Corpus Christi, TX MSA (Nueces, San P<strong>at</strong>ricio Co.) 265 380,783 0.696 Longview-Marshall, TX MSA (Gregg, Harrison, Upshire Co.) 252 208,780 0.696 Lubbock, TX MSA (Lubbock Co.) 222 242,628 0.915 Killeen-Temple, TX MSA (Bell, Coryell Co.) 106 312,952 0.339 Odessa-Midland, TX MSA (Ector, Midland Co.) 191 237,132 0.805 San Antonio, TX MSA (Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson Co.) 1512 1,592,383 0.950 Waco, TX MSA (McLennan Co.) 102 213,517 0.478 Austin-San Marcos, TX MSA (Basdrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson Co.) 7761 1,249,763 6.210 Source: Census 2000 PHC-T-3, and http://www.uspto.gov/web/<strong>of</strong>fices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/<strong>county</strong>.pdf While a large popul<strong>at</strong>ion is not in itself a prerequisite to entrepreneurial inventiveness, the expected popul<strong>at</strong>ion growth <strong>of</strong> the border region should easily support hi-tech cluster development, if the popul<strong>at</strong>ion is educ<strong>at</strong>ed in technology sciences and in the transfer <strong>of</strong> technology to commercial applic<strong>at</strong>ions. Eliyahu Goldr<strong>at</strong>t, a visionary who helped to develop the Economic <strong>The</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> Constraints promotes th<strong>at</strong> the key to inventiveness is not genius, but the courage to challenge basic assumptions… and this is a quality with which the border region can choose to abound. 1 D<strong>at</strong>a is based on utility p<strong>at</strong>ents granted from 1990 - 1999 with a first-named inventor who resided in the United St<strong>at</strong>es are included in this report. (<strong>The</strong>re is no more recent d<strong>at</strong>a than 1999 by <strong>county</strong> or metro area.) <strong>The</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> p<strong>at</strong>ents issued by the USPTO are utility (i.e. invention) p<strong>at</strong>ents. Other types <strong>of</strong> p<strong>at</strong>ents and p<strong>at</strong>ent documents issued but not included in this d<strong>at</strong>a, are plant p<strong>at</strong>ents, design p<strong>at</strong>ents, st<strong>at</strong>utory invention registr<strong>at</strong>ion documents, and defensive public<strong>at</strong>ions. <strong>The</strong> geographic distribution <strong>of</strong> p<strong>at</strong>ents is based on the residence <strong>of</strong> the inventor whose name appears first on the printed p<strong>at</strong>ent. One Region -- One Future
UTB-CBIRD Report: “At <strong>The</strong> Crossroads” Economic Development 142 Figure 5.22. Total P<strong>at</strong>ents <strong>of</strong> Selected Metropolitan Areas McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito Waco Killeen-Temple Amarillo Odessa-Midland El Paso Lubbock Longview-Marshall Corpus Christi Laredo San Antonio Austin-San Marcos Number <strong>of</strong> P<strong>at</strong>ents 0 100 200 300 400 500 37 59 102 106 147 191 209 222 252 265 268 Off the Scale 1,512 Off the Scale 7,761 Source: Utility P<strong>at</strong>ent D<strong>at</strong>a http://www.uspto.gov/web/<strong>of</strong>fices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/<strong>county</strong>.pdf “No exceptional brain power is needed to construct a new science or to expand on an existing one. Wh<strong>at</strong> is needed is the courage to face inconsistencies and to avoid running away from them just because ‘th<strong>at</strong>’s the way it was always done’… This challenging <strong>of</strong> basic assumptions is essential to breakthroughs.” Eliyahu M. Goldr<strong>at</strong>t, “<strong>The</strong> Goal: A Process <strong>of</strong> Ongoing Improvement” Una Region -- Un Futuro