|
on Innovation |
| By: | Rossana Mastrandrea (Department of Management, University of Turin, Torino, Italy); Fabio Montobbio (Dipartimento di Politica Economica, DISCE, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy – ICRIOS, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy – BRICK, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Torino, Italy); Gabriele Pellegrino (Dipartimento di Politica Economica, DISCE, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy); Massimo Riccaboni (IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy – IUSS, Pavia, Italy); Valerio Sterzi (Bordeaux School of Economics (BSE), University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR 6060, Bordeaux, France) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the roles of public and private sector actors in the development of mRNA vaccines, a breakthrough innovation in modern medicine. Using a dataset of 151 core patent fam- ilies and 2, 416 antecedent (cited) patents, we analyze the structure and dynamics of the mRNA vaccine knowledge network through network theory. Our findings highlight the central role of biotechnology firms, such as Moderna and BioNTech, alongside the crucial contributions of univer- sities and public research organizations (PROs) in providing foundational knowledge. We develop a novel credit allocation framework, showing that universities, PROs, government and research cen- ters account for at least 27% of the external technological knowledge base behind mRNA vaccine breakthroughs—representing a minimum threshold of their overall contribution. Our study offers new insights into pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovation dynamics, emphasizing how Mod- erna and BioNTech’s mRNA technologies have benefited from academic institutions, with notable differences in their institutional knowledge sources. |
| Keywords: | breakthrough innovation, innovation networks, patent analysis, mRNA vaccines, COVID- 19 |
| JEL: | I10 I18 L65 O31 O34 |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctc:serie5:dipe0047 |
| By: | Lorena M. D’Agostino (University of Milano-Bicocca); Rosina Moreno (AQR-IREA, University of Barcelona); Damián Tojeiro-Rivero (ESADE-University Ramon Llull) |
| Abstract: | Taking the long-established evidence on knowledge spillovers that states that part of the new created knowledge spills over to other firms mostly located in the physical proximity, we aim at providing evidence on the role of green knowledge spillovers on firms’ innovation. We posit that in addition to internal factors, firm innovation is determined by external regional factors, among which we specifically focus on the spillovers generated by environmental EU-funded research at the regional level. The results indicate that the presence of partners engaged in EU-environmental projects in a region has a positive and significant effect on process innovation. |
| Keywords: | innovation; environment; EU-funded research; Framework Programme; region; firm JEL classification: R11; O31; O44 |
| Date: | 2024–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aqr:wpaper:202409 |
| By: | Vivarelli, Marco; Piva, Mariacristina; Tani, Massimiliano |
| Abstract: | Labor mobility is considered a powerful channel to acquire external knowledge and trigger complementarities in the innovation and R&D investment strategies; however, the extant literature has focused on either scientists’ mobility or migration of high-skilled workers, while virtually no attention has been devoted to the possible role of short-term business visits. Using a unique and novel database originating a country/sector unbalanced panel over the period 1998-2019 (for a total of 8, 316 longitudinal observations), this paper aims to fill this gap by testing the impact of BVs on R&D investment. Results from GMM-SYS estimates show that short-term mobility positively and significantly affects R&D investments; moreover, our findings indicate - as expected - that the beneficial impact of BVs is particularly significant in less innovative countries and in less innovative industries. These outcomes justify some form of support for BVs within the portfolio of the effective innovation policies, both at the national and local level. |
| JEL: | O31 O32 O15 J61 |
| Date: | 2025–04–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unm:unumer:2025010 |
| By: | Becker, Annette; Hottenrott, Hanna; Mukherjee, Anwesha |
| Abstract: | Personality drives human decision-making. Research on corporate research and development(R&D), however, typically considers strategic decision-making to be independent of the decisionmaker's personality traits. This study investigates the impact of CEO personality on scaling activities in young firms. In particular, we focus on R&D and investment decisions building on an entrepreneurial decision model that illustrates the different roles of major personality trait (ROCEAN: risk tolerance, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism) in taking both R&D and investment decisions. Results based on detailed data from founders in 4, 732 startups founded between 2011 and 2017 in Germany, show that scaling decisions in entrepreneurial firms are strongly imprinted by the CEO's personality. We find that higher risk tolerance and openness to experience result in a higher likelihood that the firm engages in R&D but only the former matters for levels of R&D expenditures. Comparing R&D decisions to tangible investments, we find that risk tolerance plays a more prominent role in the former but higher scores for openness also drive tangible investments. Founders with higher scores for agreeability and neuroticism are less likely to invest in growth in terms of R&D and tangible investments. More conscientious founders show lower R&D engagement but invest more in tangible assets. We discuss implications for entrepreneurship research and policy. |
| Keywords: | Start-ups, Research & Development, Investment Decisions, Personality Traits, Risk tolerance |
| JEL: | D91 G11 L26 O32 O33 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:314416 |
| By: | Alessia Matano (AQR-IREA, University of Barcelona and Università di Roma “La Sapienza”); Paolo Naticchioni (Roma Tre University and IZA) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the relationship between China’s import competition and the innovation strategies of domestic firms. Using firm level data from Italy spanning 2005-2010 and employing IV fixed effects estimation techniques, we find that the impact of China’s import competition on innovation varies depending on the type of goods imported (intermediate vs. final). Specifically, imports of final goods boost both product and process innovation, while imports of intermediate goods reduce both. Additionally, we extend the analysis to consider the role of unions in moderating these responses. We find that, in unionized firms, imports' impact on innovation is mitigated, specifically to protect workers' employment prospects |
| Keywords: | China’s Import Competition, Final and Intermediate Goods, Product and Process Innovation, Unions, IV Fixed effects estimations. JEL classification: C33, L25, F14, F60, O30, J50 |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aqr:wpaper:202501 |
| By: | Fontanelli, Luca; Guerini, Mattia; Miniaci, Raffaele; Secchi, Angelo |
| Abstract: | While artificial intelligence (AI) adoption holds the potential to enhance business operations through improved forecasting and automation, its relation with average productivity growth remain highly heterogeneous across firms. This paper shifts the focus and investigates the impact of predictive artificial intelligence (AI) on the volatility of firms’ productivity growth rates. Using firm-level data from the 2019 French ICT survey, we provide robust evidence that AI use is associated with increased volatility. This relationship persists across multiple robustness checks, including analyses addressing causality concerns. To propose a possible mechanisms underlying this effect, we compare firms that purchase AI from external providers (“AI buyers”) and those that develop AI in-house (“AI developers”). Our results show that heightened volatility is concentrated among AI buyers, whereas firms that develop AI internally experience no such effect. Finally, we find that AI-induced volatility among “AI buyers” is mitigated in firms with a higher share of ICT engineers and technicians, suggesting that AI’s successful integration requires complementary human capital. |
| Keywords: | Dairy Farming, Production Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Resource/Energy Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025–04–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:355806 |
| By: | Juliana Oliveira-Cunha; Bruno Serra-Lorenzo; Anna Valero |
| Abstract: | In this policy brief, we present new data from a survey of 373 UK firms conducted in May 2024 in partnership with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). This is a follow-up to our two earlier surveys which revealed that firms adopted more new digital technologies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The surveys showed that such innovative activity had persisted, but that innovation patterns were uneven - with larger and more digitised businesses being more likely to adopt new technologies since the pandemic. Since then, UK businesses and consumers have faced significant challenges, including the cost-of-living and energy crises, while continuing to adapt to changes brought about by Brexit. This survey wave provides an updated view on business innovation through crises and change in the early 2020s. |
| Keywords: | Covid-19, Technological change, Brexit |
| Date: | 2025–04–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepsps:50 |
| By: | Mufaddal Baxamusa |
| Abstract: | I investigate whether the differences in R&D expenditures as reported in BRDIS and Compustat can be explained by the firm having multiple R&D establishments by using the data from LBD and BRDIS to classify the firms into single R&D establishments and multi-R&D establishment firms. |
| Keywords: | BRDIS, LBD, Compustat |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cen:tnotes:25-04 |