nep-ino New Economics Papers
on Innovation
Issue of 2013‒01‒19
eleven papers chosen by
Steffen Lippert
University of Otago, Dunedin

  1. What are the Channels for Technology Sourcing? Panel Data Evidence from German Companies By Harhoff, Dietmar
  2. Learning through experience in Research & Development: an empirical analysis with Spanish firms By Pilar Beneito; María E. Rochina-Barrachina; Amparo Sanchis
  3. Intellectual Property Rights, Appropriation Instruments and Innovation Activities: Evidence from Tunisian Firms By Olfa KAMMOUN; Mohieddine RAHMOUNI
  4. R&D INCENTIVES: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PLACE-BASED POLICY By Marco Corsino; Roberto Gabriele; Anna Giunta
  5. Does Going Public Affect Innovation? By Bernstein, Shai
  6. Measuring Cultural Diversity and its Impact on Innovation: Longitudinal Evidence from Dutch Firms By Ozgen, Ceren; Nijkamp, Peter; Poot, Jacques
  7. Partnering universities and companies in Russia: effects of new government initiative By Dezhina , Irina; Simachev, Yuri
  8. Migration, Cultural Diversity and Innovation: A European Perspective By Valentina Bosetti; Cristina Cattaneo; Elena Verdolini
  9. Spillovers from R&D and other intangible investment: evidence from UK industries By Haskel, J; Goodridge, P; Wallis, G
  10. Institutions and Agents of Technological Diffusion in 19th Century Spain By Pretel, David; Saiz, Patricio
  11. Employment Protection and Innovation Intensity By Murphy, Gavin; Siedschlag, Iulia; McQuinn, John

  1. By: Harhoff, Dietmar
    Abstract: Innovation processes within corporations increasingly tap into international technology sources, yet little is known about the relative contribution of different types of innovation channels. We investigate the effectiveness of different types of international technology sourcing activities using survey information on German companies complemented with information from the European Patent Office. German firms with inventors based in the US disproportionately benefit from R&D knowledge located in the US. The positive influence on total factor productivity is larger if the research of the inventors results in co-applications of patents with US companies. Moreover, research cooperation with American suppliers also enables German firms to better tap into US R&D, but cooperation with customers and competitors does not appear to aid technology sourcing. The results suggest that the “brain drain” to the US can have upsides for corporations tapping into American know-how.
    Keywords: technology sourcing; knowledge spillovers; productivity; open innovation
    JEL: O32 O33
    Date: 2012–03–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lmu:msmdpa:14327&r=ino
  2. By: Pilar Beneito (University of Valencia and ERI-CES); María E. Rochina-Barrachina (University of Valencia and ERI-CES); Amparo Sanchis (University of Valencia and ERI-CES)
    Abstract: In this paper we analyse the role of learning through experience in Research and Development (R&D) activities in strengthening firms’ capabilities to achieve innovation outcomes. Using a production function approach, we estimate a count-data model using a panel dataset of Spanish manufacturing firms for the period 1990-2006. We find that the number of years of engagement in R&D activities is positively associated with the achievement of product innovations. Our results highlight that experience in R&D is an additional technological asset to be considered for a good management practice. In particular our findings indicate that the relationship between firms’ R&D experience and product innovations is non-linear, that is, that experience has a positive effect on the probability to achieve product innovations, but at a decreasing rate. In addition, our results suggest that, although large firms are more efficient than SMEs in converting R&D investment into product innovations, SMEs obtain more efficiency gains from R&D experience than large firms.
    Keywords: R&D experience, learning, product innovation, count data, SMEs
    Date: 2013–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eec:wpaper:1302&r=ino
  3. By: Olfa KAMMOUN; Mohieddine RAHMOUNI
    Abstract: This paper documents the relationship between appropriation instruments and the innovation activity and other determinants of the innovation behavior of firms in Tunisia. It focuses on studying the factors that determine the appropriation of innovation results like the value of sales of the firms, networking, science-industry linkage, competitive pressure and demand pull. To this end, we propose an econometric analysis of various hypotheses tested in a sample of 586 Tunisian firms. We find significant interaction effects between appropriability and R&D activity. The results confirm that patenting is primarily driven by firm-level factors, not by industry affiliation. Access to external knowledge and firm\'s specific characteristics are the most factors linked to the innovation protection. Firms that use appropriation instruments have a higher probability of investing in R&D than the other ones. Indeed, the capability to integrate external knowledge and performing R&D (networking, science-industry linkage, cooperation with other firms, belonging to a group) is related to the use of appropriation instruments.
    Keywords: Appropriation instruments, patents; Innovation; development; absorptive capacity
    JEL: O12 O30
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:grt:wpegrt:2013-01&r=ino
  4. By: Marco Corsino; Roberto Gabriele; Anna Giunta
    Abstract: The empirical evidence concerning the impact of R&D subsidies on both sides of the innovation process (input and output) and the overall performance of the firm is mixed. Moreover, while the role of regions in implementing innovation policies has increased since the last decade, little is known on the effectiveness of regional policy. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of a local R&D policy implemented in the Italian province of Trento, during the period 2002-07. The econometric analysis is based on counterfactual models. We evaluate the achievements of the local policy maker with respect to the following objectives: (i) prompt additional investment in innovation; (ii) enhance the overall competitiveness of the business sector in the regional area. We find that R&D incentives positively affect investments in intangible assets and human capital, while they have no effect on firms’ turnover, labor productivity and profitability.
    Keywords: Regional Innovation Policy, Ex Post Evaluation, Subsidies, Research and Development, Counterfactual Models
    JEL: O25 O31 O38
    Date: 2012–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rtr:wpaper:0169&r=ino
  5. By: Bernstein, Shai (Stanford University)
    Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of going public on innovation by comparing the innovative activity of firms that went public with firms that withdrew their IPO filing and remained private. NASDAQ fluctuations during the book-building phase are used as an instrument for IPO completion. Using patent-based metrics, I find that the quality of internal innovation declines following the IPO and firms experience both an exodus of skilled inventors and a decline in productivity of remaining inventors. However, public firms attract new human capital and acquire external innovations. The analysis reveals that going public changes firms' strategies in pursuing innovation.
    Date: 2012–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecl:stabus:2126&r=ino
  6. By: Ozgen, Ceren (VU University Amsterdam); Nijkamp, Peter (VU University Amsterdam); Poot, Jacques (University of Waikato)
    Abstract: To investigate econometrically whether cultural diversity of a firm's employees boosts innovation, we create a unique linked employer‐employee dataset that combines data from two innovation surveys in The Netherlands with administrative and tax data. We calculate three distinct measures of diversity. We find that firms that employ fewer foreign workers are generally more innovative, but that diversity among a firm's foreign workers is positively associated with innovation activity. The positive impact of diversity on product or process innovations is greater among firms in knowledge-intensive sectors and in internationally‐oriented sectors. The impact is robust to accounting for endogeneity of foreign employment.
    Keywords: immigration, innovation, cultural diversity, knowledge spillovers, linked administrative and survey data
    JEL: D22 F22 O31
    Date: 2013–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7129&r=ino
  7. By: Dezhina , Irina; Simachev, Yuri
    Abstract: The paper presents the results of 2-year survey conducted in 2011-2012 among Russian universities and companies who jointly implement R&D projects aimed at development of high-tech manufacturing. The joint projects represent a new government instrument to stimulate the development of linkages between universities and companies by giving matching grants for R&D to companies with obligation to order R&D to a university-partner. The objectives of the survey included analysis of motivation for cooperation both from side of universities and companies; primary effects and side-effects of such initiative; changes that may be introduced to the government regulations concerning matching grants. Total 38 teams were surveyed. Our findings show that major motivations from side of universities were access to new practical research tasks from companies, selection of most competitive teams of researchers capable to work with companies, and strengthening reputation in business environment. Companies were interested in getting government funding in order to solve their technological problems; to strengthen, due cooperation with universities, their research capacity, and to use modern research infrastructure located at universities. The analysis allowed identification of the major effects of the matching grants mechanism. They included: strengthening of university orientation towards solving practical tasks which are of interest to business; institutionalization of relations between universities and business in the sphere of innovation activity; broadening of research cooperation and the formation of research consortiums; harmonization of research and educational tasks in universities, and orientation of the parties towards continuing cooperation in the innovation sphere.
    Keywords: STI policy evaluation; public R&D subsidies; matching grants; university-industry linkages; behavioral additionality; innovations
    JEL: D21 I28 O31
    Date: 2012–12–23
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:43622&r=ino
  8. By: Valentina Bosetti; Cristina Cattaneo; Elena Verdolini
    Abstract: This paper analyses the effect of skilled migration on two measures of innovation, patenting and citations of scientific publications, in a panel of 20 European countries. Skilled migrants positively contribute to the knowledge formation in host countries as they add to the pool of skills in destination markets. Moreover, they positively affect natives' productivity, as new ideas are likely to arise through the interaction of diverse cultures and diverse approaches in problem solving. The empirical findings we present support this prediction. Greater diversity in the skilled professions are associated with higher levels of knowledge creation, measured either by the number of patents applied for through the Patent Cooperation Treaty or by the number of citations to published articles. This finding is robust to the use of different proxies for both the explanatory variables and the diversity index in the labour force. Specifically, we first measure diversity with a novel indicator which uses information on the skill level of foreigners’ occupations. We then check our results by following the general literature, which measures skills by looking at the foreigners’ level of education. We show that cultural diversity consistently increases the innovation performance of European Countries. Keywords: cultural diversity, innovation, skilled migration, knowledge production function, Europe JEL: F22, J24, O31
    Date: 2012
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:igi:igierp:469&r=ino
  9. By: Haskel, J; Goodridge, P; Wallis, G
    Date: 2012–08–21
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imp:wpaper:10009&r=ino
  10. By: Pretel, David (Trinity Hall. University of Cambridge); Saiz, Patricio (Departamento de Análisis Económico (Teoría e Historia Económica). Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
    Abstract: Although some recent studies have provided fresh intellectual insights on the role of patent practitioners during the nineteenth century, they have largely overlooked the activity of these actors in international patenting and peripheral countries. This study will fill a gap in the existing scholarship through an examination of the role and influence of patent agents in Spain from the introduction of the country’s first modern intellectual property law in 1826 to the regulation of agents’ practice in 1902. The study explores the range of activities carried out by those individuals employed by Spanish and foreign patentees to deal with both the patent application process and the commercialisation of property rights. Our argument here is that a focus on patent agents and other forms of agency can provide us with a better understanding of processes of invention, innovation and technology transfer in the European periphery during the nineteenth century. The history of technology in the periphery requires attention not only to the incentives for innovation but also to the social procedure of transmission of knowledge, ideas and information as well as the actors involved in this activity. Our focus cannot be solely on the transfer and communication of knowledge and information from advanced industrial nations to ‘backward’ ones; it must also include the processes of interaction, exchange and appropriation that occurred in both directions.
    Keywords: agency, agents, patents, technology transfer.
    JEL: N73 O33 O34
    Date: 2011–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uam:wpapeh:201105&r=ino
  11. By: Murphy, Gavin; Siedschlag, Iulia; McQuinn, John
    Abstract: We examine the impact of the strictness of employment protection legislation on innovation intensity. To this purpose, we use a panel of annual data from OECD countries over the period 1990-1999 and estimate difference-in-difference models to explain the variation of innovation intensity between industries within countries. Our estimates indicate that stricter employment protection legislation led to significantly lower innovation intensity in industries with higher job reallocation rates or higher layoff propensities. Further, we find that the strictness of employment regulations on the use of temporary contracts had a stronger impact on innovation intensity than the strictness of employment protection for regular contracts. Our findings are robust to additional industry covariates and to other labour market institutions that may affect innovation performance and industry job reallocation propensity. In addition, our sensitivity analysis indicates that our results are not driven by the particular measures of employment protection legislation and industry layoff propensity that we use or by any country in our sample.
    Keywords: data/employment/labour market/protection/reallocation/regulation
    Date: 2012–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esr:wpaper:wp445&r=ino

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