10th IAERE Summer School “Patent Data Analysis for Environmental and Resource Economics”
The Department of Economics and Management of the University of Ferrara and the Italian Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (IAERE) are pleased to announce the 10th IAERE Summer School on Patent Data Analysis for Environmental and Resource Economics, which will take place on 15–18 September 2026 at Palazzo Bevilacqua Costabili, Ferrara, Italy. The School is organised with the support of EAERE.
The Summer School
The Summer School aims to introduce participants to the fundamentals of patent analysis, combining theoretical foundations with hands-on applications based on real-world patent data. Recent methodological developments and applications of patent analytics for the study of innovation, sustainability, and technological change will be presented and discussed.
Topics Covered Include
- Foundations of patents, intellectual property rights, and innovation systems
- Patent databases and data sources, including PATSTAT, USPTO, EPO, and Google Patents
- Patent indicators for measuring innovation, technological specialisation, and competitiveness
- Patent classification systems, including IPC, CPC, and technology mapping
- Text analysis and natural language processing of patent documents
- Measuring novelty, technological complexity, and knowledge recombination
- Green, digital, and circular economy innovation through patent data
- Patent analysis for policy evaluation and technology forecasting
- Hands-on sessions using patent data and computational tools for innovation research
Faculty Members
Tommaso Ciarli (UNU-MERIT)
Claudia Ghisetti (University of Milan-Bicocca)
Kerstin Hotte (KEDGE Business School, Paris)
Arianna Martinelli (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa)
Felix Poege (Bocconi University)
Nicolò Barbieri (University of Ferrara)
Target Audience
The Summer School is addressed to graduate students, PhD candidates, early-career researchers, and professionals from universities, research institutes, private companies, government agencies, and NGOs with an interest in environmental and resource economics, innovation studies, and patent data analysis. Advanced undergraduate students may also be considered.
Structure
The School will consist of four days of in-person teaching, from Tuesday morning to Friday afternoon. The programme will include 12 teaching modules and 4 discussion sessions, combining lectures, methodological insights, and practical applications.
Important Dates
Registration deadline: 31 July 2026
Summer School: 15–18 September 2026
Participation
Participation is reserved for IAERE members. Participants who are not yet IAERE members will be requested to register for IAERE membership. The minimum number of students required to activate the programme in person is 15, while the maximum number of participants is 30.
IAERE Visiting PhD Scholarship 2026
The 10th IAERE Summer School is also connected to the IAERE Visiting PhD Scholarship 2026, promoted by the Italian Association of Environmental and Resource Economists to support doctoral students developing research in environmental and resource economics. The scholarship is open to PhD candidates registered at the Summer School. The total value of the scholarship is up to €10,000.
Registration Fees
Master’s students: €100 (VAT included)
All other categories: €450 (VAT included)
The registration fee includes course materials, participation certificate, coffee breaks, light lunches included in the School programme, and the social dinner. Accommodation is not included.
Further Information
For further information and registration, please visit the IAERE Summer School webpage.
For questions, please contact: nicolo.barbieri@unife.it.









