How COMETS, STARS and Nanobank Illuminate Innovation's Hidden Pathways
Imagine trying to predict weather patterns without satellite imagery, or tracking disease outbreaks without global reporting systems. For decades, this was the reality for researchers studying how scientific discoveries transform into innovations that shape our economy and society. The critical shortage of comprehensive, linked data has been the single greatest impediment to advancing the science of innovation policy and practice (SciSIPP). As one landmark paper bluntly stated: "Data availability is arguably the greatest impediment" 1 3 .
Before these systems, innovation research relied on fragmented, disconnected datasets that made comprehensive analysis nearly impossible.
The integration of patents, publications, grants and firm data created the first complete picture of innovation pathways.
Born from NSF grants in the early 2000s, Nanobank pioneered the approach of integrating disparate innovation records. Focused exclusively on nano-scale sciences, it became the prototype for what would follow.
Short for Connecting Outcome Measures in Entrepreneurship Technology and Science, COMETS expanded Nanobank's approach to cover all sciences, technologies, and high-tech industries.
The Science and Technology Agents of Revolution System (STARS) serves as the restricted-access parent database to COMETS. Containing sensitive data at the individual scientist-inventor-entrepreneur level.
| Feature | Nanobank | COMETS | STARS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Nano-scale sciences only | All sciences/technologies | All sciences/technologies |
| Access | Public | Public | Restricted (NBER/UCLA) |
| Data Levels | Organization-level | Organization-level | Individual + Organization |
| Key Sources | Nano patents, publications, grants | Patents, grants, publications, dissertations | All COMETS data + proprietary sources |
| Geographic Coding | Country/State | Country/State/County/City | Country/State/County/City |
The revolutionary power of these databases lies not just in the data they contain, but in how they connect it. Consider this challenge: When "J. Smith" appears on a Stanford patent, an MIT paper, and an NIH grant, are these the same person? Traditional databases would treat them as separate entities. The COMETS/STARS team tackled this through a massive disambiguation effort that assigns unique identifiers to organizations and individuals 1 6 .
Harvest names from patents, grants, publications, and firm records
Group records by name variants, institutional affiliations, and specialty keywords
Pin each record to specific locations using address data
Check against authoritative directories (university faculty, corporate registries)
Create persistent identifiers that track entities across systems and time
| Geographic Level | Analysis Capabilities | Sample Research Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Cross-national comparisons | R&D investment effectiveness |
| Region | Multi-state economic areas | Tech cluster development |
| State | Policy impact studies | Tax policy effects on star scientist migration |
| County | Regional innovation systems | University knowledge spillovers |
| City | Urban innovation districts | Startup incubator effectiveness |
The true test of any scientific tool lies in what discoveries it enables. COMETS and its sibling databases have powered research that overturned conventional wisdom about innovation economics:
Using Nanobank's specialized tracking, researchers identified the critical role of academic pioneers in nanotechnology commercialization 1 .
By linking patent data with university records through COMETS, researchers discovered that academic patents with industry collaboration were cited significantly more frequently 2 .
| Research Focus | Database Used | Key Finding | Policy Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star scientist migration | STARS | Top scientists highly responsive to tax incentives | States redesigned innovation tax credits |
| Nanotech firm formation | Nanobank | Academic stars drive regional firm entry | Targeted university research investment |
| Patent quality | COMETS | Academic-industry collaboration produces highest impact patents | Enhanced support for partnership programs |
| Innovation clusters | STARS/COMETS | Critical mass occurs at ~50 star scientists | Cluster development strategies refined |
What makes these databases so powerful? A suite of specialized tools and approaches that transform raw data into innovation intelligence:
Proprietary taxonomy categorizing patents and grants into precise science/technology areas, enabling field-specific analysis 5 .
Specialized data structures maintaining entity identities across decades despite name changes, mergers, or address changes 4 .
As COMETS evolves, its creators envision a future where innovation tracking becomes as precise as weather forecasting. Current developments include:
Reducing data lag from years to months
Moving beyond US-centric data
Predicting emerging tech hotspots
"COMETS transforms innovation research from disconnected case studies into a replicable science."