nep-tid New Economics Papers
on Technology and Industrial Dynamics
Issue of 2013‒08‒05
three papers chosen by
Rui Baptista
Technical University of Lisbon

  1. Technology Platforms in Europe: an empirical investigation By Lisa De Propris; Carlo Corradini
  2. Asymmetric Trade Liberalisation, Sector Heterogeneity and Innovation By Antonio Navas Ruiz
  3. Trade and technology: New evidence on the productivity sorting of firms By Bertschek, Irene; Hogrefe, Jan; Rasel, Fabienne

  1. By: Lisa De Propris; Carlo Corradini
    Abstract: In the last decades, innovation activity has been defined by an increasing complexity and a faster pace of the underlying technological change. Accordingly, several studies have shown that competitive systems of innovation benefit from being able to build upon a wide but integrated spectrum of technological capabilities characterised by a sustained dynamism in the level of inter-sectoral technology flows. In this context, technological platforms – defined as knowledge and scientific launching pads that spin out of key enabling technologies - may create the opportunity for technological externalities to take place across a set of related sectors through a swarm of increasingly applied and incremental innovations. In this report, we look at the presence and determinants of these technological platforms across EU Countries and explore the mechanisms through which these influence inter sectoral technology spillovers, thus fostering technological shifts and technological synthesis within the broader economy. Using data on patents and patent citations obtained from the PATSTAT-CRIOS database, covering all patent applications made to the European Patent Office (EPO), we try to model the systemic nature of technology platforms. In particular, our aim is to provide empirical evidence that the presence of key enabling technologies at the base of the platform may lead to a more sustained interaction across second tier innovations characterised by a “distant” knowledge base. Then, we endeavour to investigate the relationship that may take place between this process and the role played by the national dimension.
    Keywords: Clusters, ecological innovation, industrial innovation, innovation, innovation policy, new technologies, patents, socio-ecological transition, sustainable growth
    JEL: O3 O31 O32 O33 O38
    Date: 2013–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feu:wfewop:y:2013:m:7:d:0:i:34&r=tid
  2. By: Antonio Navas Ruiz (Department of Economics, The University of Sheffield)
    Abstract: Innovation, mark-ups and the degree of trade openness vary substantially across sectors. This paper builds a multi-sector endogenous growth model to study the influence of asymmetric trade liberalisation and sectoral differences in the degree of product market competition on the effect that trade has on R&D investments at a firm level. I find that differences in the degree of competition generate large differences in firm innovative responses to trade liberalisation. A movement from autarky to free trade promotes innovation and productivity growth in those sectors which are initially less competitive. However, when the initial tariff level is common across sectors, a homogeneous tariff reduction promotes innovation in those sectors which are initially more competitive. The paper suggests that trade liberalisation could be a source of industry productivity divergence: firms that are located in industries with greater exposure to foreign trade, invest a greater amount in R&D contributing to industry productivity growth. Finally the paper outlines the importance of reallocation effects within industry and across industries that are the result of these asymmetries. An asymmetric trade liberalisation has a small but negative impact on aggregate productivity growth.
    Keywords: sectorial productivity, international trade, innovation
    JEL: F12 O43
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:shf:wpaper:2013009&r=tid
  3. By: Bertschek, Irene; Hogrefe, Jan; Rasel, Fabienne
    Abstract: Using a unique German firm-level data set, we provide empirical evidence for a productivity sorting along two dimensions: international activity and technology choice. We consider domestic and exporting firms and measure technology choice by firms' actual use of advanced information technology (IT). For manufacturing firms, the observed sorting pattern is consistent with recent theories of heterogeneous firms and technology choice: Only the relatively more productive ones among internationally active firms are also highly technology intensive. For service sector firms we find similar evidence, yet the results seem to depend on the trade cost of certain services. In general, recent theoretical advances regarding trade and technology adoption thus seem to better fit the manufacturing sector. --
    Keywords: exports,productivity,sorting,information technology,firm-level data
    JEL: F14 F23 L23
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:13042&r=tid

This nep-tid issue is ©2013 by Rui Baptista. It is provided as is without any express or implied warranty. It may be freely redistributed in whole or in part for any purpose. If distributed in part, please include this notice.
General information on the NEP project can be found at http://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.