Gatekeepers have been studied as knowledge mediators for companies, institutions, and regions. This paper contributes to the discussion of the effects of the presence of gatekeepers on regional inventive performance. Specifically, the article tests whether there is a causal effect of the presence of gatekeepers on the number of patents per capita, on high-tech patents, and on the degree of technological diversification or specialization. Based on a rich Brazilian microdatabase, we use the propensity matching score to infer causal effects without incurring bias stemming from selection. The main results show a causal effect running from the presence of gatekeepers to a higher number of patents per capita, to a higher number of high-tech patents and to a higher technological specialization level.