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.

4/ Our research reveals that East German inventors with access to international technological knowledge through government-led industrial espionage were more likely to pursue inter-organizational mobility and continue their inventive work in reunified Germany post-1990.