2/ In this study, we examine the mobility of East German inventors after the German reunification in 1990. Despite the potential positive human capital shock for the reunified German economy, only 6.7% of inventors pursued inter-organizational mobility and continued innovating after 1990.

3/ The majority of these inventors were drawn to major West German companies like Bosch, Siemens, Infineon, and BASF. Additionally, two-thirds of East German inventors previously patenting with universities or public research institutions transitioned from academia to the private sector.