nep-ino New Economics Papers
on Innovation
Issue of 2023‒02‒27
seven papers chosen by
Uwe Cantner
University of Jena

  1. Who Stands on the Shoulders of Chinese (Scientific) Giants? Evidence from Chemistry By Shumin Qiu; Claudia Steinwender; Pierre Azoulay
  2. Public procurement as an innovation policy: Where do we stand? By Chiappinelli, Olga; Giuffrida, Leonardo M.; Spagnolo, Giancarlo
  3. Financing Innovation with Innovation By Zhiyuan Chen; Minjie Deng; Min Fang
  4. Firms' innovation and university cooperation. New evidence from a survey of Italian firms. By Daniela Bragoli; Flavia Cortelezzi; Massimiliano Rigon
  5. Green product innovation in industrial networks: a theoretical model By Dugoua, Eugenie; Dumas, Marion
  6. Digital technologies, learning capacity of the organisation and innovation EU-wide empirical evidence from a combined dataset By Nathalie Greenan; Silvia Napolitano; Imad El Hamma
  7. Is Innovation Good for European Workers? Beyond the Employment Destruction/Creation Effects, Technology Adoption Affects the Working Conditions of European Workers By Malo Mofakhami

  1. By: Shumin Qiu; Claudia Steinwender; Pierre Azoulay
    Abstract: In recent decades, Chinese researchers have become preeminent contributors to the scientific enterprise, as reflected by the number of publications originating from Chinese research institutions. China’s rise in science has the potential to push forward the global frontier, but mere production of knowledge does not guarantee that others are able to build on it. In this manuscript, we study how fertile Chinese research is, as measured by citations. Using publication and citation data for elite Chemistry researchers, we show that Chinese authored articles receive only half the citations from the US compared to articles from other countries. We show that even after carefully controlling for the “quality” of Chinese research, Chinese PIs’ articles receive 28% fewer citations from US researchers. Our results imply that US researchers do not build as readily on the work of Chinese researchers, relative to the work of other foreign scientists, even in a setting where Chinese scientists have long excelled.
    Keywords: research and development, economics of science, innovation, international spillovers
    JEL: I23 O30 O35
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10217&r=ino
  2. By: Chiappinelli, Olga; Giuffrida, Leonardo M.; Spagnolo, Giancarlo
    Abstract: Economics and innovation scholars have long recognized the potential of public procurement to trigger innovation. To what extent has this potential been realized so far? What can be done to improve the performance of PPI in this regard? This paper addresses these issues by providing a literature survey of research on public procurement of innovation (PPI). After categorizing PPI instruments, the paper discusses existing interdisciplinary knowledge to answer four broad questions: i) Does PPI spur innovation? ii) How should PPI be designed to best spur innovation? iii) What are the main barriers to implement PPI? iv) What is the role of PPI in the innovation policy mix? The paper concludes with a discussion of future research needs and policy insights in light of current global challenges.
    Keywords: innovation, public procurement, public policy, R&D, green purchases
    JEL: H23 H57 O30 O31 O32 O35 O36 O38
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:23002&r=ino
  3. By: Zhiyuan Chen (School of Business, Renmin University of China); Minjie Deng (Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University); Min Fang (Department of Economics, University of Florida)
    Abstract: This paper documents that firms are increasingly financing innovation using their stock of innovation, measured as patents. We refer to this behavior as financing innovation with in- novation. Drawing on patent collateral data from both the US and China, we first show that (1) in both countries, the total number and share of patents pledged as collateral have been rising steadily, (2) Chinese firms employ patents as collateral on a smaller scale and with a lower intensity than US firms, (3) firms increase their borrowing and innovation after they start to use patent collateral. We then construct a heterogeneous firm general equilibrium model featuring idiosyncratic productivity risk, innovation capital investment, and borrow- ing constrained by patent collateral. The model emphasizes two barriers that hinder the use of patent collateral: high inspection costs and low liquidation values of patent assets. We parameterize the model to firm-level panel data in the US and China and find that both barriers are significantly more severe in China than in the US. Finally, counterfactual analyses show that the gains in innovation, output, and welfare from reducing the inspection costs in China to the US level are substantial, moreso than enhancing the liquidation value of patent assets.
    JEL: E22 G32 O31 O33
    Date: 2022–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ufl:wpaper:002004&r=ino
  4. By: Daniela Bragoli (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - Milano); Flavia Cortelezzi (Insubria University - Como); Massimiliano Rigon (Bank of Italy)
    Abstract: In this paper, we investigate whether the cooperation with universities may stimulate the innovative performance of Italian firms. We use a dataset merging information from two different surveys carried out by the Bank of Italy between 2007 and 2010. We derive our results using a two-stage procedure with the aim of ruling out spurious correlations due to the existence of omitted variables. Results show that the cooperation with universities does not affect the likelihood of firms introducing technological innovations. However, when we distinguish between pure technological innovation outcomes (only new products and/or productive processes) and joint innovation outcomes, which involve both organizational and technological changes, we find that only the latter is positively stimulated by the cooperation with universities. These findings are promising since, according to the innovation management literature, joint innovation activities are more successful in transferring new ideas and new business opportunities into market success.
    Keywords: university cooperation, technological innovation, organizational innovation, control function
    JEL: C35 C36 O30
    Date: 2023–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1400_23&r=ino
  5. By: Dugoua, Eugenie; Dumas, Marion
    Abstract: Previous studies have modeled green technological change as innovations in the process of production (e.g., abatement technologies or energy sources). But greening the economy also requires changing products. The automotive industry, for example, needs to massively deploy alternative-fuel vehicles. Product manufacturing occurs within supply-chain networks, and developing new products typically requires complementary investments by suppliers. We study the incentives for green product innovation in industrial networks and how policies can affect them. We follow the industrial organization theory of product differentiation, and model green product innovations as upgrades in product quality where inputs from suppliers are essential for upgrading quality. We show that suppliers can be innovation bottlenecks and render policy instruments less effective. We provide an explicit mechanism for the role of institutions that help actors coordinate on the long-term direction of innovation. We discuss how our results help organize several findings from case studies in the automotive industry.
    Keywords: green products; innovation; production networks; buyer-supplier relationships; supply chains
    JEL: Q55 Q58 L52 O31
    Date: 2021–05–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:108570&r=ino
  6. By: Nathalie Greenan (LIRSA - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de recherche en sciences de l'action - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université, CEET - Centre d'études de l'emploi et du travail - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche - Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé, TEPP - Travail, Emploi et Politiques Publiques - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Silvia Napolitano (LIRSA - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de recherche en sciences de l'action - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université, CEET - Centre d'études de l'emploi et du travail - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche - Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé); Imad El Hamma (LIRSA - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de recherche en sciences de l'action - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université, CEET - Centre d'études de l'emploi et du travail - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche - Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé, TEPP - Travail, Emploi et Politiques Publiques - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of digitalisation and organisational practices on innovation in Europe, between 2010 and 2016. We analyse the cross-country and industry differences in firms' investments and capabilities to adopt and use new technologies and their effects on innovation outputs. Along with traditional drivers of innovation, such as R&D expenditure, two indicators are constructed. One encompasses direct measures of the adoption and use in enterprises of a set of digital technologies. The other measures the learning capacity of organisations, which captures the use of management tools and organisational practices concerned with the improvement of individual and organisational learning. Product, process, organisational and marketing innovations are identified as well as their combination in the company, in order to explore possible synergies between them. Empirical evidence is provided by a unique dataset based on the integration at the sector within country level of EU-wide employers' and employees' surveys: the Community Innovation Survey, the Community ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises surveys (Eurostat) and the European Working Conditions Survey (Eurofound). The descriptive evidence shows that Digital technologies adoption and use is rapidly growing across Europe while the Learning capacity of organisations remains stagnant. By contrast, our results from the econometric analysis show that their interaction has positive effects on innovations. In particular, a mix of product/process innovations with organisational/marketing innovations rests on joint investments in R&D, digital technology adoption and use and learning capacity.
    Abstract: Cet article étudie les effets de la digitalisation et des pratiques organisationnelles sur l'innovation en Europe, entre 2010 et 2016. Les différences entre pays et secteurs en matière d'investissements et de capacités des entreprises à adopter et à utiliser les nouvelles technologies sont analysées ainsi que les effets des technologies numériques sur les innovations. En plus des moteurs traditionnels de l'innovation, tels que les dépenses de R&D, deux indicateurs sont construits. L'un englobe des mesures directes de l'adoption et de l'utilisation par les entreprises d'un ensemble de technologies numériques. L'autre mesure la capacité d'apprentissage de l'organisation, prenant en compte l'utilisation d'outils de gestion et de pratiques organisationelles visant à améliorer l'apprentissage individuel et organisationnel. Les innovations de produit, de procédé, organisationelles et marketing sont identifiées ainsi que leur combinaison dans l'entreprise, afin d'explorer les éventuelles synergies quelles entretiennent entre elles. L'analyse empirique mobilise un ensemble de données unique, reposant sur l'intégration au niveau des secteurs au sein des pays de plusieurs enquêtes couvrant l'Union Européenne (UE) et conduites auprès des employeurs d'une part, des salariés d'autres part : l'enquête communautaire sur l'innovation (Eurostat), l'enquête sur l'utilisation des TIC et le commerce électronique dans les entreprises (Eurostat) et l'enquête européenne sur les conditions de travail (Eurofound). Les statistiques descriptives montrent que l'adoption et l'utilisation des technologies numériques augmentent rapidement en Europe alors que la capacité d'apprentissage des organisations stagne. L'analyse économétrique montre cependant que leur interaction a des effets positifs sur les innovations. En particulier, la combinaison d'innovations de produit/procédé et d'innovations organisationelle/marketing repose sur des investissements conjoints dans la R&D, l'adoption et l'utilisation des technologies numériques et la capacité d'apprentissage.
    Keywords: Digital technologies, learning capacity, innovation, knowledge production function, data integration of employers’ and employees’ surveys
    Date: 2022–12–23
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-03941735&r=ino
  7. By: Malo Mofakhami (LIRSA - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de recherche en sciences de l'action - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université, CEET - Centre d'études de l'emploi et du travail - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche - Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé, CEPN - Centre d'Economie de l'Université Paris Nord - LABEX ICCA - UP13 - Université Paris 13 - Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UPCité - Université Paris Cité - Université Sorbonne Paris Nord - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Université Sorbonne Paris Nord)
    Abstract: This article contributes to better understanding the relations between innovation and the evolution of working conditions and employment quality. Most studies on employment and innovation focus on the impacts of innovation on employment variation and turnover. However, few empirical works explicitly study the transformative role of new technology adoption in the qualitative dimensions of jobs. This article investigates the effect of new technology adoption on job quality and working conditions. Based on the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) (2010), econometrics models identify at employee-level the combined influence of innovation with work organization practises on several job quality dimensions. We observe that new technology adoption is generally associated with better employment quality for workers in some ways, but, simultaneously, it leads to higher physical constraints and work-time intensity. Furthermore, our study highlights the heterogeneity of innovation diffusion effects according to work organization's practices. Our results suggest that more consideration should be given to the impact of technology diffusion on job quality. The increasing constraints on working conditions from innovation and information and communication technology use call for regulation setting. This article is an original contribution in answering the claims for more in-depth research on the links between employment variation and work transformations due to technological change.
    Date: 2021–07–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03282887&r=ino

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