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on Innovation |
| By: | Spyros Arvanitis (Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)); Martin Woerter (Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)) |
| Abstract: | Based on a representative firm sample for Switzerland we empirically investigated strategic approaches for knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) activities between business firms and public research organisations. Based on cluster analysis of 19 different forms for KTT, three types of KTT strategies were identified, each of them correspond with a specific combination of some of the 19 different forms for KTT activities. It was found that they are determined mainly by variables related (a) to the absorptive capacity of a firm and (b) to the degree of appropriability of the returns of innovation, indicating that the followed strategy reflects the resource base of a firm. Further, it was shown that a firm’s obstacle profile with respect to KTT activities is related to the applied strategy. Firms with more intensive contacts emphasise risk-related factors and financial restrictions, while firms with less intensive contacts emphasise a mismatch between firm and university requirements with respect to KTT. Furthermore and most importantly, it was found that strategy matters for the impact of KTT on the innovation performance of a firm. In fact, KTT strategies related to the core R&D activities of a firm showed a greater impact compared to strategies related to ‘softer’ forms of transfer activities, e.g. informal contacts or education related contacts. |
| Keywords: | R&D strategies, knowledge and technology transfer, innovation activities, R&D activities |
| JEL: | O30 |
| Date: | 2006–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kof:wpskof:06-148&r=ino |
| By: | Christian Gianella; William Tompson |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the potential role of innovation policy in enhancing long-term productivity growth in Russia. It begins by exploring the role of framework conditions for business in encouraging innovative activities, particularly with respect to intellectual property rights and competition. Realising Russia’s innovation potential will also require reform of the large public science sector. This raises issues pertaining to the organisation and financing of public research bodies and, in particular, to the incentives and opportunities they face in commercialising the results of their research. Finally, the paper looks at the potential role of direct interventions, such as special economic zones and technoparks, as well as the scope for improving the tax regime for private-sector R&D. <P>Augmenter l’efficacité de la politique de l’innovation <BR>Cette étude examine le rôle potentiellement joué par la politique de l’innovation pour stimuler la croissance de la productivité en Russie à long terme. Il souligne tout d’abord l’importance des conditionscadres pour les entreprises, et notamment la protection de la propriété intellectuelle et la promotion de la concurrence, comme facteur favorable aux activités innovantes. La réalisation du potentiel de la Russie en matière d’innovation nécessitera aussi une réforme du large secteur scientifique publique. Les enjeux concernent aussi bien l’organisation que le financement des organismes publics de recherche, ainsi que les incitations et les débouchés qui s’offrent à eux pour commercialiser le résultat de leur recherche. Enfin, l’étude examine le rôle potentiel des interventions directes – zones économiques spéciales, technopôles – et les possibilités d’amélioration du régime fiscal applicable à la recherche-développement dans le secteur privé. |
| Keywords: | productivity, productivité, venture capital, capital-risque, competition, impôt, innovation, innovation, concurrence, ICT, TIC, Russia, Russie, research and development, recherche-développement, patents, brevets, technology transfer, technology, technologies, intellectual property, propriété intellectuelle, tax, science, science, computers, ordinateurs, transfert de technologie |
| JEL: | L11 L52 O31 O34 O38 |
| Date: | 2007–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:539-en&r=ino |
| By: | Spyros Arvanitis (Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates (a) the determinants of innovation performance and (b) the impact of innovation performance on labour productivity of Swiss manufacturing firms in the period 1994-2002. The data used in this study come from the KOF panel database and were collected in 1996, 1999 and 2002 respectively based on a questionnaire quite similar to that used in the Community Innovation Surveys (CIS). The use of a wide spectrum of indicators helps to test the robustness of the specification of the innovation equation as well as the robustness of the impact of innovation on economic performance. We find a clear-cut positive effect of innovation on labour productivity. |
| Keywords: | innovation, labour productivity, R&D expenditures |
| JEL: | O30 |
| Date: | 2006–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kof:wpskof:06-149&r=ino |
| By: | Ito, Banri; Yamagata, Tatsufumi |
| Keywords: | HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Neglected diseases, Patents, Medicine, Knowledge production, Diseases, Medical care, Developing countries |
| JEL: | I19 L65 O31 O34 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper24&r=ino |
| By: | Heinz Hollenstein (Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is twofold: Firstly, we try to identify and characterise different types of strategies firms pursue in performing foreign R&D. Secondly, it is analysed whether the types of R&D strategies we identified in the first part differ in terms of their impact on firm productivity. In order to identify foreign R&D strategies we perform, in a first step, a non-hierarchical cluster analysis of data on the firms’ motives for investing abroad in R&D. In a second step, we characterise these clusters by use of a large number of variables that, according to the well-known OLI paradigm, determine a firm’s FDI in distribution, manufacturing and R&D. In this way, we can check whether the clusters identified by applying a (purely) statistical classification procedure effectively may be interpreted as “types of foreign R&D strategies”. We end up with four types of strategies, which significantly differ in terms of characteristics that are important according to the OLI approach. In the second part we estimate a production function where the standard factor inputs are complemented by domestic R&D and strategy-specific foreign R&D. It turns out that only one of the four strategies exerts a positive influence on firm productivity. However, it cannot be excluded that some of the other strategies have, in the longer run, a positive productivity effect as well. The paper also finds that foreign and domestic R&D, on balance, are complements. |
| Keywords: | Internationalisation of R&D; outward FDI in R&D; motives for foreign R&D; types of foreign R&D strategies; foreign R&D and productivity; substitution vs. complementarity of foreign and domestic R&D. |
| JEL: | F21 F23 O3 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kof:wpskof:06-154&r=ino |
| By: | Arita, Tomokazu; Fujita, Masahisa; Kameyama, Yoshihiro |
| Abstract: | This study examines the effects of intra-regional cooperation among firms and institutions on the growth of firms, using the unique data set of questionnaire survey collected in the three major industrial clusters in Japan. In contrast to the existing studies on regional innovations or agglomeration economies, this study explicitly focuses on the detailed contents of cooperative activities with two specific viewpoints: 1) the contents of regional cooperation in each of the three production stages of R&D, commercialization, and marketing, and 2) the detailed types of alliance partners. Our results demonstrate three points: 1) positive correlations are observed between the intensity of regional cooperation and the firm growth rate and R&D expenditure, 2) horizontal cooperation such as alliances with universities and cross-industry exchange organizations has positive significant effects on the growth rate of firms, which is in contrast with the previous studies that stressed only the role of vertically integrated inter-firm linkages in Japan, and 3) contents and partners of regional cooperation are different among the three clusters based on different dominant industries. |
| Keywords: | Industrial clusters, Industrial agglomeration, Knowledge externalities, Japan, Regional economic cooperation, Small and medium-scale enterprises, Research & development, Marketing, Commerce |
| JEL: | O18 O53 R3 |
| Date: | 2006–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper18&r=ino |
| By: | Berliant, Marcus; Fujita, Masahisa |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a micro-model of knowledge creation and transfer in a small group of people. Our model incorporates two key aspects of the cooperative process of knowledge creation: (i) heterogeneity of people in their state of knowledge is essential for successful cooperation in the joint creation of new ideas, while (ii) the very process of cooperative knowledge creation a¤ects the heterogeneity of people through the accumulation of knowledge in common. The model features myopic agents in a pure externality model of interaction. In the two person case, we show that the equilibrium process tends to result in the accumulation of too much knowledge in common compared to the most productive state. Unlike the two-person case, in the four person case we show that the equilibrium process of knowledge creation may converge to the most productive state. Equilibrium paths are found analytically, and they are a discontinuous function of initial heterogeneity. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Creation, Square Dance, Hilbert Cube, Heterogeneity, Microeconomics, Econometric model, G World，others |
| JEL: | D83 O31 R11 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper14&r=ino |
| By: | Nora Sydow (Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)) |
| Abstract: | The non-response in a survey can lead to severe bias. In order to manage this problem, it is usual to make a second survey by a sample of non-respondent. This allows us to test if there is a significant difference in the key variables of the survey between respondents and nonrespondents and, if yes, to take it into account. But, the risk is great to introduce another bias depending on the mode (mail vs phone) of survey. The KOF industrial economics group is exploring for many years the innovation behaviour of Swiss firms using a mail survey addressed to almost 6600 panel firms of the industrial, construction and service sector. We use since some years the data of a second survey by nonrespondents to correct non-response bias. Contrarily to the first survey, this one is made by phone. One can suspect that the personal interaction with the person(s) calling may be introducing another bias. In order to investigate this question, in the case of the ETH Zurich’s innovation 2002 survey, we decided next to the regular non-respondent-phone-survey, to conduct a similar phone survey by a subsample of the respondent-group. Thus, we dispose of data for the same variables coming from the two modes of survey and allowing us to show if there is a difference or not in the response behaviour. We use different statistical approaches to investigate this issue, considering X2-test and Logit models. Our results show that data collection method may influence the response. |
| Keywords: | survey mode, non-response bias, non-response analysis |
| JEL: | C0 C13 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kof:wpskof:06-152&r=ino |