Technological knowledge diffuses faster nationally than internationally... but the gap diffusion is not evenly distributed globally. While international diffusion has accelerated overall, clear differences remain in how quickly knowledge moves between different countries patent families, and three times faster than applicants in Japan or the Republic of Korea. The reverse pattern also applies. Applicants from Germany, the Republic of Korea, Japan and China cite their own technologies 2.5, 4, 5 and 6 times faster than US applicants cite technologies from Advanced economies absorb foreign knowledge faster. Substantial differences exist in diffusion speeds along different international knowledge corridors. High-performing innovation economies - including the United States, East Asian countries and Western European nations - Africa, Latin American and Caribbean countries and Eastern Europe typically experience slower Knowledge flows favor leading innovation ecosystems. US applicants systematically take less time to cite technologies from other countries than those countries take to cite Us technologies. to identify, absorb and build upon foreign technological advances