傳染病與專利交互作用下對銀行經營的影響—以COVID-19為例

Abstract

本研究探討傳染病與專利活動交互作用對銀行經營穩定性的影響，以 COVID-19 疫情為背景，分析臺灣銀行業如何透過專利創新因應突發公共衛生事件。銀行業一向在技術創新上較保守，但疫情加速其數位轉型，使金融科技與智慧財產策略成為關鍵議題。為彌補文獻中對專利活動與疫情交互效應探討的不足，本文納入專利總數與 COVID-19 成長率之交乘項，並檢視公股銀行是否存在異質性效果。研究涵蓋 2008 年第 1 季至 2024 年第 3 季，針對臺灣 20 間上市銀行進行季度追蹤資料分析。專利資料取自專利檢索系統，依國際專利分類（IPC）劃分為 G06Q20、G06Q30、G06Q40、OTHER、COMPLEX 類別與總專利數。銀行穩定性以 z-score 衡量，分析方法採固定效果與隨機效果模型，並以 Hausman 檢定選擇最適模型，同時納入滯後變數及 AIC、BIC 進行穩健性檢驗。實證結果顯示，COVID-19 對銀行穩定性有負向影響，多數專利變數亦呈顯著負相關，顯示疫情期間創新活動未能即時轉化為營運優勢。疫情與專利交互項大多為負向且達顯著水準，反映疫情可能抑制專利效益發揮；惟公股銀行與專利交乘項呈正向顯著，突顯其在制度支持下具備較佳風險調適能力與專利轉化效率。進一步針對各公股銀行進行時間序列分析，結果顯示專利與穩定性之正相關僅限於少數具制度優勢的銀行，顯示專利效益的發揮高度依賴個別銀行的治理策略與資源配置。This study investigates the impact of the interaction between infectious diseases and patent activities on the operational stability of banks, with a particular focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes how Taiwanese banks leveraged patent innovation to respond to this public health crisis. Traditionally conservative in technological innovation, the banking sector accelerated its digital transformation during the pandemic, making financial technology and intellectual property strategies critical issues. To address the gap in the literature regarding the interaction effects of patent activities and pandemics, this paper incorporates interaction terms between the total number of patents and COVID-19 growth rates, and further examines potential heterogeneity among state-owned banks.The study covers the period from Q1 2008 to Q3 2024 and utilizes panel data for 20 publicly listed banks in Taiwan. Patent data were obtained from patent retrieval systems and classified by International Patent Classification (IPC) codes into G06Q20, G06Q30, G06Q40, OTHER, COMPLEX categories, and total patent counts. Bank stability is measured using the z-score. The analysis employs fixed-effects and random-effects models, with the Hausman test used to determine the most appropriate specification. Lagged variables and robustness checks based on AIC and BIC criteria are also included.The empirical findings reveal a negative impact of COVID-19 on bank stability. Most patent variables exhibit significant negative correlations, suggesting that innovative activities during the pandemic did not immediately translate into operational advantages. The interaction terms between COVID-19 and patents are generally negative and statistically significant, indicating that the pandemic may have hindered the realization of patent benefits. However, interaction terms involving state-owned banks are positively significant, highlighting their superior risk-adjustment capabilities and efficiency in translating patents into outcomes under institutional support. Further time-series analyses on individual state-owned banks show that the positive relationship is limited to a few banks with institutional advantages, underscoring the critical role of governance strategies and resource allocation in leveraging patent benefits.