|
on Technology and Industrial Dynamics |
| By: | Carlos Carreira (GEMF and Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, Portugal); Luís Lopes (GEMF and Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, Portugal) |
| Abstract: | This paper revisits the puzzling question regarding the role of spatial agglomeration of production activities and knowledge on firm’s total factor productivity (TFP). In particular, it addresses the overlooked issue of a plausible non-linear effect and different across industries. Using a panel of Portuguese manufacturing firms, we found that specialization economies have a positive impact on firms’ productivity, especially for those operating in medium-high and high-tech sectors. Diversity externalities, for its part, have an inverted U-shaped relationship with firms’ TFP in low, medium-low and medium-high tech sectors. The relationship between regional R&D employment and productivity differs across sectors: in all manufacturing firms and firms from medium-low and high-tech sectors, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship; in low-tech sector, there is a U-shaped relationship and a positive elasticity for any employment level higher than the 20th percentile. Overall, agglomeration economies differ substantially across industries and they are non-linear. |
| Keywords: | Regional knowledge spillovers, agglomeration economies, low-tech vs. high-tech industries, total factor productivity. JEL Classification: |
| Date: | 2016–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2016-06.&r=tid |
| By: | Tuhkuri, Joonas; Lööf, Hans; Mohammadi, Ali; Rouvinen, Petri |
| Abstract: | Abstract This paper explores offshoring of firms’ research and development functions. Our analysis employs a previously untapped and unique Eurostat International Sourcing Survey. The results are easy to summarize. First, the magnitude of R&D offshoring is small. Second, a large majority of R&D is offshored within the enterprise group, in contrast to offshoring outside of the enterprise group. Third, most of R&D offshoring from Europe is directed to high-income European countries, not so to low-cost countries in Europe, China, or India. Fourth, R&D jobs do have been lost from offshoring; however, the negative employment impact has been moderate. But the Eurostat International Sourcing Survey does not allow entangling the full net employment effect of R&D offshoring, which could be either negative or positive. |
| Keywords: | R&D, offshoring, outsourcing, innovation, product development |
| JEL: | O3 O32 F0 F2 F16 L2 J44 |
| Date: | 2016–05–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:report:52&r=tid |
| By: | A. Arrighetti; F. Landini; A. Lasagni |
| Abstract: | In contrast to the so-called cleansing effect, during the Great Recession we observe highly heterogeneous firm performances. In particular, a not negligible subset of firms grew considerably despite of the general tendency towards downsizing. In this paper, we explain the behaviour of these swimming upstream firms (SUFs). We obtain three main results. First, SUFs exhibit certain firm-specific characteristics: they are younger and relatively more productive than non-SUFs. Second, SUFs adopt highly proactive strategic profiles, which assign significant importance to activities related to innovation, intangibles, and internationalization. Third, SUFs tend to react to changes in market opportunities, although they suffer from sticky processes of resource reallocation between exiting and surviving firms. Moreover, their growth seems to take place primarily within a regime of cumulative destruction rather than creative destruction. Some of the implications of these results for managers and policy makers are discussed. |
| Keywords: | crisis, cleansing effect, heterogeneity, growth, firm performance, manufacturing industry |
| JEL: | D22 L21 L25 O32 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:par:dipeco:2016-ep04&r=tid |
| By: | Czarnitzki, Dirk; Doherr, Thorsten; Hussinger, Katrin; Schliessler, Paula; Toole, Andrew A. |
| Abstract: | We use an exogenous change in German Federal law to examine how entrepreneurial support and the ownership of patent rights influence academic entrepreneurship. In 2002, the German Federal Government enacted a major reform called Knowledge Creates Markets that set up new infrastructure to facilitate university-industry technology transfer and shifted the ownership of patent rights from university researchers to their universities. Based on a novel researcher-level panel database that includes a control group not affected by the policy change, we find no evidence that the new infrastructure resulted in an increase in start-up companies by university researchers. The shift in patent rights may have strengthened the relationship between patents on university-discovered inventions and university start-ups; however, it substantially decreased the volume of patents with the largest decrease taking place in faculty-firm patenting relationships. |
| Keywords: | intellectual property,patents,technology transfer,policy evaluation |
| JEL: | O34 O38 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:16036&r=tid |
| By: | Maurizio Baussola (DISCE, Università Cattolica); Eleonora Bartoloni (ISTAT, Regional Office for Lombardy) |
| Abstract: | Complementarities between technological and non-technological innovation are crucial determinants of firm performance. This topic has not received the attention that it merits, as the focus has been primarily placed on technological innovation alone or on innovation efforts as measured by R&D or patent activities. The capacities to develop market-oriented behaviour and introduce new organisational innovations are the drivers - together with technological innovation - of a firm's productivity and profitability. We also underline how the impact of such activities is larger when they persist over time, thus introducing a more general concept of innovation persistency. We present an empirical model based on a large and new panel of Italian manufacturing firms covering the period 2000-2012 that enables us to derive the precise impacts of a firm's innovative effort - based on a broad definition that incorporates non-technological innovation and persistence - on its productivity and profitability. |
| Keywords: | Technological and non-technological innovation, Complementarities, European Community Innovation Survey, Profitability, Productivity, Unbalanced panel data |
| JEL: | L25 |
| Date: | 2016–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctc:serie2:dises1613&r=tid |
| By: | Sandra M. Leitner (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Robert Stehrer (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | Abstract Due to information asymmetries between the debtor and potential outside investors, entrepreneurs often face sizeable and insurmountable financing constraints. This is a strong deterrent to either starting new or continuing already ongoing innovation projects which not only stymies entrepreneurs’ own future innovation potentials and growth prospects but also severely harms growth potentials of whole economies, making catching-up an unnecessarily long and arduous process. Against this backdrop, the analysis sheds light on the effects of prevailing credit constraints on different innovation strategies (i.e. R&D-based make versus M&E-based buy strategies) of establishments in Central, East and Southeast Europe (CESEE) and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) during three different economic phases. The results point to the detrimental effect of credit constraints which is particularly strong and consistent for the M&E-based ‘buy innovation strategy’ which dominates in the region, but less pronounced and relevant for the less prevalent R&D-based ‘make innovation strategy’. Furthermore, the analysis identifies firm characteristics that are conducive to innovative activities and demonstrates that establishment size, age, the particular international trading status, ownership status as well as whether subsidies were received are important determinants of different innovation strategies. |
| Keywords: | credit constraints, R&D-based and M&E-based innovation strategies, Central, East and Southeast Europe, Former Soviet Union |
| JEL: | G21 O16 O31 |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:wpaper:125&r=tid |