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on Economics of Strategic Management |
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Issue of 2026–09–21
five papers chosen by João José de Matos Ferreira, Universidade da Beira Interior |
| By: | Horbach, Jens; Rammer, Christian |
| Abstract: | Eco-innovations are highly important for mitigating climate change and transitioning towards a circular economy. There is extensive literature on the determinants of eco-innovation. The analysis of the role of government subsidies, however, is still under-developed. Subsidies are controversially discussed because they may distort competition and lead to less efficient solutions. At the same time, eco-innovations may produce positive externalities both at the innovation stage (knowledge spillovers) and the diffusion stage (reducing environmental damage). Subsidies may hence be important to avoid private under-investment in such innovations. The paper investigates which types of subsidies (e.g. general vs. research oriented, regional vs. national vs. supranational) are used by firms that engage in different fields of eco-innovation. The analysis is based on panel-econometric estimations using data from the German part of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS), covering the years 2020 to 2024. The results show that regional subsidies and general industry support are important for the diffusion of eco-innovations, such as the substitution of fossil fuels by renewables, because they help to overcome financial constraints. Specific R&D subsidies are important for innovations leading to less CO2 emissions in production processes. |
| Keywords: | Green subsidies, eco-innovation, random effects panel probit models |
| JEL: | C23 C25 Q55 Q58 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:343046 |
| By: | Butzin, Anna; Flögel, Franz; Meyer, Kerstin; Rabadjieva, Maria |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses the interplay between university entrepreneurial ecosystems (UEE) and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems (REE) in knowledge-based regional development, focusing on their permeability, boundaries, and complementarities. Using qualitative data from 176 events attended by startups from UEE and REE in the German Ruhr region, the research reveals an asymmetric permeability: UEE startups frequently engage with REE events to access market knowledge and managerial skills, while REE startups rarely participate in UEE activities beyond recruiting graduates. Both ecosystems deliver similar types of entrepreneurial knowledge, such as managerial and funding insights, but differ in their emphasis. UEEs focus more on market insights linked to technology commercialisation, whereas REEs emphasise marketing knowledge reflecting closer market proximity. The findings highlight the REE's nurturing role by providing practical support and market access for the UEE startups. The study suggests fostering greater inclusivity of UEEs to benefit a broader range of founders and recommends hybrid event formats combining UEE and REE resources to enhance regional innovation dynamics. |
| Keywords: | university entrepreneurial ecosystems, regional development, knowledge transfer, entrepreneurial ecosystems |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iatdps:343531 |
| By: | Fazliddin Shermatov; Stephane Robin; Aldo Geuna |
| Abstract: | Whether artificial intelligence pays off for the firms that build it into their products is hard to establish, because AI innovation is itself hard to observe. The medical technology sector is a rare exception: an AI-enabled device must obtain clearance from a national health authority before it can reach a patient, leaving a dated, firm-attributable record of AI innovation output that can be observed directly rather than proxied. We exploit this setting with a three-stage recursive model estimated on a novel firm-level dataset linking FDA premarket clearances, USPTO patents, Scopus publications, and Orbis financials, tracing the full innovation chain from external collaboration through AI device introduction to firm performance. We find that external AI research collaboration is a robust driver of AI device introduction across firm sizes and estimators, with a larger effect for small firms, consistent with external knowledge ties substituting for limited internal R&D capacity. Decomposing by partner type, the effect is largest for industry and clinical collaborations and smallest for academic ties, consistent with the former being closer to the regulatory and commercialisation process. Firms that bring AI devices to market display higher labour productivity, an effect robust for small firms and the full sample that holds under both sequential and joint maximum-likelihood estimation and accumulates across successive device introductions. Effects on profit margins are present but weaker and do not survive all specifications, a pattern consistent with competitive entry eroding pricing power as AI devices diffuse through the sector. |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2609.08485 |
| By: | Riku Watanabe (Department of Economics, Kagawa University); Ken Tabata (School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University) |
| Abstract: | This study introduces endogenous resource-substituting innovation into a variety-expanding endogenous growth model with polluting non-renewable resources. The resulting task-based framework highlights the trade-off between resource-using variety-expanding innovation and resource-substituting innovation. We examine how subsidies for these two types of innovation affect economic growth and welfare, and how environmental policies that slow resource extraction and mitigate pollution shape these effects. Subsidies for new-variety R&D promote growth through faster variety expansion but reduce it through greater reliance on resource extraction, reflected in a lower share of firms adopting resource-substituting production methods and higher resource intensity in aggregate production. Subsidies for resource-substituting innovation have the opposite effects. Calibrating the model, we find that raising subsidies for new-variety R&D is more likely to improve welfare in resource-rich economies, whereas raising subsidies for resource-substituting innovation is more likely to improve welfare in resource-poor economies. We also find that more stringent environmental policies that conserve resources and mitigate pollution strengthen the welfare gains from subsidies for resource-substituting innovation, while weakening those from new-variety R&D subsidies. |
| Keywords: | Non-Renewable Resources, Resource-Substituting Innovation, R&D-based Growth |
| JEL: | O31 O44 Q55 |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kgu:wpaper:314 |
| By: | Bijedić-Krumm, Teita; Mokhtar, Julia; Nielen, Sebastian; Schneider, Sebastian; Stephan, Meike |
| Abstract: | Die Studie untersucht, welche Faktoren das Zustandekommen und den Erfolg von Innovationskooperationen zwischen kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMU) und Hochschulen beeinflussen. Für KMU sind Hochschulen wichtige Partner, weil sie ihnen Zugang zu wissenschaftlichem Know-how, Forschungsinfrastruktur und Förderkompetenz bieten. Zentrale Erfolgsfaktoren für Innovationskooperationen sind bestehende Netzwerke, Vertrauen sowie ein gegenseitiges Verständnis für die unterschiedlichen Arbeitsweisen und Ziele von Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft. Erschwert wird die Zusammenarbeit durch begrenzte finanzielle und personelle Ressourcen, unterschiedliche Zeithorizonte und bürokratische Anforderungen der Förderprogramme. Innovationskooperationen zwischen KMU und Hochschulen könnten dadurch befördert werden, dass Hochschulen die Sichtbarkeit ihrer Forschung erhöhen und regionale Transferverbünde auf- bzw. ausgebaut werden. |
| Abstract: | The study examines the factors that influence the establishment and success of innovation cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and universities. Universities are important partners for SMEs, as they offer access to scientific expertise, research infrastructure and expertise in securing funding. Key success factors for innovation partnerships include existing networks, trust and a mutual understanding of the different working methods and objectives of academia and industry. At the same time, limited financial and human resources, differing time horizons and the bureaucratic requirements of funding conditions hamper collaboration. Universities should raise the profile of their research. Regional knowledge transfer networks should be established or expanded. |
| Keywords: | Innovationskooperationen, FuE, Innovationen, KMU, Hochschulen, Innovation cooperation, R&D, Innovation, SME, Universities |
| JEL: | O31 O32 O38 I23 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifmmat:343588 |