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on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
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Issue of 2013‒03‒09
seventeen papers chosen by Laura Stefanescu European Research Centre of Managerial Studies in Business Administration |
| By: | Arvanitis, Spyros (KOF, ETH Zürich); Lokshin, Boris (School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University); Mohnen, Pierre (UNU-MERIT/MGSoG); Wörter, Martin (KOF, ETH Zürich) |
| Abstract: | There is growing evidence that firms increasingly adopt open innovation practices. In this paper we investigate the impact of two such external knowledge acquisition strategies, 'buy' and 'cooperate', on firm's product innovation performance. Taking a direct (productivity) approach, we test for complementarity effects in the simultaneous use of the two strategies, and in the intensity of their use. Our results based on large panels of Dutch and Swiss innovating firms, suggest that while both 'buy' and 'cooperate' have a positive effect on innovation, there is little statistical evidence that using them simultaneously leads to higher innovation performance. Results from the Dutch sample provide some indication, that there are positive economies of scope in doing external and cooperative R&D simultaneously conditional on doing internal R&D. |
| Keywords: | Innovation, Open innovation, R&D collaboration, make, buy strategies |
| JEL: | O31 O32 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:unumer:2013003&r=knm |
| By: | Iizuka, Michiko (UNU-MERIT/MGSoG) |
| Abstract: | The innovation systems approach has proven useful in explaining the reasons behind varying economic performance in developing countries. The systemic understanding of the innovation process, which pays attention to the knowledge flow among interactive actors, serves as a useful 'focusing device' for elaborating effective policy to accelerate the innovation process and to contribute to economic development. The existing use of the innovation system may need to change substantially to address present-day societal challenges. The emerging types of innovation-such as user innovation, public sector innovation, social innovation and innovation for inclusive development-have different features from those of existing types. This paper examines the features of emerging types of innovation to assess whether and how the current innovation system can be remodelled to explain emerging social agendas, with particular focus on developing countries. |
| Keywords: | innovation system, user innovation, public sector innovation, social innovation, innovation for inclusive development, developing countries |
| JEL: | O20 O21 O31 O32 O33 O38 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:unumer:2013005&r=knm |
| By: | Dietmar Harhoff; Elisabeth Mueller; John Van Reenen |
| 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: | 2013–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1193&r=knm |
| By: | Lööf, Hans (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology); Nabavi, Pardis (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: | This paper is concerned with the productivity and growth of Swedish exporting firms. Using data on 9,580 manufacturing firms with 10 or more employees for the period 1997-2008, it estimates a dynamic GMM model that captures both the impact of recurrent knowledge investment through innovation and potential spillovers from the local milieu. The majority of the exporting firms are non-innovative. The data reveal that patent applicants located in knowledge intense milieus account for almost 40 percent of total Swedish exports, but only 2 percent of the firms. From the regressions it is shown that, relative to a firm that does not engage in innovation and has scarce access to external knowledge, the level of productivity is 2-12 percent higher for an innovative firm, depending on how innovation is defined and where the innovator is located. The annual long-run growth rate is 0.2-0.7 higher for innovative firms. Moreover, the performance gap between innovative and non-innovative exporters increases with accessibility to external knowledge for the former. |
| Keywords: | Productivity; exports; innovation; geographical knowledge spillovers; panel data |
| JEL: | C23 F14 L25 O31 R32 |
| Date: | 2013–01–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0296&r=knm |
| By: | Johansson, Börje (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology); Johansson, Sara (CESIS and CEnSE at Jönköping International Business School); Wallin, Tina (CESIS and CEnSE at Jönköping International Business School) |
| Abstract: | Firms in local industries maintain their capability to generate innovations by simultaneously exploiting internal and external knowledge resources. The paper introduces the notion variety triplet to distinguish individual export varieties, where a triplet is a unique combination of a firm, a product code and a destination country. For each date the set of variety triplets in each local industry records all remaining past product innovations. In view of this the paper examines how internal and external knowledge of local industries influence the industry’s scope and value of export varieties. The paper contributes to existing knowledge firstly by introducing variables that measure a local industry’s access to external supply of knowledge, divided into local and extra-local supply. Secondly, the paper sheds light on how internal and external knowledge influence the scope of product innovations in local industries, with firm-level data from Sweden. Thirdly, the paper compares the influence of knowledge on the entire set of variety triplets and on a separate set of recently introduced varieties. |
| Keywords: | Product varieties; innovation; internal knowledge; external knowledge; KIBS |
| JEL: | F12 F14 R12 R32 |
| Date: | 2013–01–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0297&r=knm |
| By: | Porath, Amiram (CREST Expert Group) |
| Abstract: | Collaborative Research (CR) is usually regarded as a way to overcome several R&D barriers: the limitations of specific R&D projects resulting from lack of finance required for research infrastructure investment; the lack of expertise in industry (while it exists in academic institutes); and successful knowledge transfer. CR can be regarded as a strategic Open Innovation tool. In a book published in 2010 (Porath, 2010) I discussed CR on various aspects, analyzing it from the academic point of view and in the later part of the book on the practical aspects of participants and policy makers. Two recent books have been published, in which I have one chapter each. In the first one I presented a model (Porath, 2012a); and in the second a case study (Porath 2012b) regarding Open Innovation. These chapters have not dealt with CR as Open Innovation but rather presented another tool that has made Open Innovation a strategy for companies with little other choice. In this chapter I will combine the three sources into a more comprehensive picture. |
| Keywords: | Collaborative research; Open innovation; Knowledge management |
| JEL: | L14 L17 O32 |
| Date: | 2013–02–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:cieodp:2013_001&r=knm |
| By: | Mohammad Movahedi (Normandie University, UNICAEN - CREM CNRS UMR6211); Olivier Gaussens (Normandie University, UNICAEN - CREM CNRS UMR6211) |
| Abstract: | Ce papier concerne l’analyse de l’impact de l’exportation sur la productivité et l’innovation dans les entreprises. L’apport de ce travail réside principalement dans 1) la décomposition de l’effet global de l’exportation sur les performances de l’entreprise en un effet d’apprentissage, un effet d’auto-sélection et un effet de spécialisation, 2) la prise en compte simultanée de la persistance de l’exportation et de son intensité. L’objectif de ce papier est d’évaluer l’impact respectif des trois effets de l’exportation sur la performance des entreprises. Ces effets sont testés dans le cadre d’un modèle récursif à partir d’indicateurs synthétiques de l’output et de l’input d’innovation issus de l’analyse des correspondances multiple (ACM). Cette estimation est réalisée a partir des données d’un échantillon représentatif de 90 PMI de la région Basse-Normandie (France) provenant de l’enquête conduite en 2009-10 dans le cadre du projet IDEIS. <br> English abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the impact of exporting on productivity and innovation in SMEs. The contribution of this work lies mainly in 1) the decomposition of the overall effect of the export on the firm performance into a learning effect, a self-selection effect and a specialization effect; and 2) the simultaneous consideration of the both persistence and intensity of export. The primary aim of this paper is to evaluate the respective impact of these three export effects on firm performance. These effects are tested in a recursive model from synthetic indicators of innovation using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). For this end, we use the data from a representative random sample formed by 90 SMEs of regional of Normandy (France), obtained from the survey conducted in the IDEIS project. |
| Keywords: | Apprentissage, Auto-sélection, Spécialisation, Processus d’innovation / Learning, Self-selection, Specialization, innovation process |
| JEL: | C14 C35 D22 F12 O31 |
| Date: | 2013–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tut:cremwp:201307&r=knm |
| By: | Patrick Llerena; Valentine Millot |
| Abstract: | The benefits of innovations for firms strongly depend on their ability to develop complementary appropriability means, including intellectual property (IP) rights. This paper aims at assessing the interrelated effects of two types of IP rights, namely patents and trade marks, considering them in their core function as legal protection devices. Based on a supermodularity analysis, we show that the complementary relationship between trade marks and patents is not straightforward. Depending on the levels of advertising spillovers and depreciation rate, trade marks are found to be either complementary or substitute to patents. Based on a data set encompassing the IP activity of a sample of French publicly traded firms, we find that patents and trade marks are complementary in chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, but substitute in high-tech business sectors (computer products and electrical equipment). |
| JEL: | O32 O34 L10 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2013-01&r=knm |
| By: | Romão, João (University of Algarve); Rodrigues, Paulo M. (University of Algarve); Guerreiro, João (University of Algarve) |
| Abstract: | The differentiation of tourism destinations depends on the innovative integration of local cultural and natural characteristics of the territory into the regional touristic supply. A panel data model is used to identify – and to confirm – the influence of these “new” conditions for sustainable tourism development in the regional attractiveness in Southwest Europe, between 2003 and 2008. Other “traditional conditions” are also taken into consideration, namely those related to infrastructures and economic conditions. The work includes a critical literature review on the regional tourism systems, their relation with regional systems of innovation and the contribution of natural and cultural assets for the differentiation of tourism destinations. |
| Keywords: | Tourism; Innovation; Differentiation; Nature; Heritage; Region |
| JEL: | C23 O33 Q56 |
| Date: | 2013–02–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:cieodp:2013_003&r=knm |
| By: | Claudia Curi (School of Economics and Management, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano); Cinzia Daraio (Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Universita' degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"); Patrick Llerena (University of Strasbourg, BETA (Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée) and Observatoire des Sciences et Techniques (OST, Paris)) |
| Abstract: | This paper assesses the performance in technology transfer operated by the French university system adopting a Malmquist approach within an inferential setting. It investigates an original and unique database of French TTOs over their first development time. We find an overall weak increase in productivity, driven by technology and organisational improvement related to a small number of TTOs. More specifically, most TTOs show a stable innovative behaviour (i.e. no significant technical change) and only half of the system experiences a decline in efficiency change suggesting the lack of one best business model able to fit the entire system. Finally, we find that, on average, the presence of university-related hospital dampens TTOs’ efficiency and TTO´s seniority has a positive effect on productivity, enhancing simultaneously efficiency and innovation |
| Keywords: | Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs; French University System; Malmquist Index; Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA); Bootstrap |
| Date: | 2013–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aeg:report:2013-03&r=knm |
| By: | Takalo , Tuomas (Bank of Finland Research) |
| Abstract: | Economic interest in innovation policy largely arises from the fundamental importance of innovation to social welfare and from inefficiencies in innovation in a competitive market environment. As a result, a wide variety of public innovation policies are used in practice. This study reviews the economic justifications for public innovation policies and compares the existing policy tools, paying particular attention to the Finnish innovation policy environment. |
| Keywords: | innovation policies; innovation; R&D; incentives; market failures |
| JEL: | G28 H25 O31 O34 O38 |
| Date: | 2013–01–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:bofrdp:2013_001&r=knm |
| By: | Eric Schmidbauer (Department of Business Economics and Public Policy, Indiana University Kelley School of Business) |
| Abstract: | Are new versions of products necessarily better? We analyze product innovation by a firm that engages in research and development designed to improve an existing product, the outcome of which is uncertain. If the firm adopts the innovation its modified product appears to consumers as new and improved, but consumers do not immediately know whether or how much the product is better. We find that new products are on average improved and therefore command a pricing premium. This induces some types to exploit the new product signal by selling new versions that are only trivially different from their older version or that require inefficiently high upgrade costs. Nevertheless, the incentive to show off by introducing a new product may improve total welfare by inducing more innovation adoption and thereby mitigating the standard monopoly underinvestment problem. Innovation signaling provides a rational explanation for consumer attraction to new versions of products without resort to behavioral assumptions such as a preference for "newness". |
| Keywords: | Asymmetric information, Signaling, Innovation |
| JEL: | L0 D82 O31 |
| Date: | 2013–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iuk:wpaper:2013-01&r=knm |
| By: | Hartmann, Dominik; Pyka, Andreas |
| Abstract: | In this paper we bridge a gap between innovation economics and the human development approach by analyzing positive and negative effects of different types of economic diversification on social welfare. Economic variety is a driver and outcome of economic development. However, diversification leads to ambiguous effects on the well-being of human agents: on the one hand, increasing variety augments the freedom of human agents to choose. On the other hand, it can overburden their capabilities to make economic decisions and can deteriorate their well-being. It becomes clear that human development policy has to go hand in hand with an industrial policy that promotes qualitative economic diversification. Depending on its dynamics, this diversification can be achieved via related and unrelated variety. We can expect a better design of development policies from a better understanding of the co-evolutionary development of variety, freedom of choice and well-being. -- |
| Keywords: | innovation,economic diversification,human development |
| JEL: | O10 O54 E11 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fziddp:652013&r=knm |
| By: | Takalo, Tuomas (Bank of Finland and KU Leuven); Tanayama , Tanja (National Audit Office of Finland); Toivanen , Otto (KU Leuven & CEPR) |
| Abstract: | We extend the theoretical basis of the empirical literature on the effects of R&D subsidies by providing an estimable model of strategic interaction among subsidy applicants, and public and private sector R&D financiers. Our model incorporates fixed R&D costs and a cost of external finance. We derive the optimal support rule. At the intensive (extensive) margin the costs of external funding reduce (increase) the optimal subsidy rate. We also establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of additionality. It turns out that additionality at the intensive margin is less likely with large spillovers. Our results suggest that the relationship between additionality and welfare may not be straightforward. |
| Keywords: | R&D; entrepreneurial finance; R&D subsidies; innovation policy |
| JEL: | G28 H25 L32 O38 |
| Date: | 2013–02–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:bofrdp:2013_002&r=knm |
| By: | Cowan, Robin (UNU-MERIT/MGSoG, Maastricht University, and BETA, Universite de Strassbourg); Kamath, Anant (UNU-MERIT/MGSoG) |
| Abstract: | This is a model of knowledge exchange by means of informal interaction among agents in low technology clusters. What this study seeks to do is to colour these exchanges by placing them in an environment of complex social relations, test whether the small-world network structure is the most favourable for knowledge exchanges in these environments, and explore the influence of social relations and network distance. These enquiries are the contribution of this model to the existing series of studies on efficient network structures for knowledge diffusion. We find that the small-world network structure may not be the best network structure for highest and most equitable knowledge distribution, when knowledge exchanges are undertaken in environments of complex social relations. Also, we confirm that the highest and most equitable knowledge distribution is achieved when there is perfect affinity among the agents. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Exchanges, Small-Worlds, Social Networks, Complex Social Relations |
| JEL: | D85 O33 Z13 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:unumer:2013004&r=knm |
| By: | Ernst, Christof; Richter, Katharina; Riedel, Nadine |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of tax incentives on corporate research and development (R&D) activity. Traditionally, R&D tax incentives have been provided in the form of special tax allowances and tax credits. In recent years, several countries moreover reduced their income tax rates on R&D output. Previous papers have shown that all three tax instruments are effective in raising the quantity of R&D related activity. We provide evidence that, beyond this quantity effect, corporate taxation also distorts the quality of R&D projects, i.e. their innovativeness and revenue potential. Using rich data on corporate patent applications to the European patent office, we find that a low tax rate on patent income is instrumental in attracting innovative projects with a high earnings potential and innovation level. The effect is statistically significant and economically relevant and prevails in a number of sensitivity checks. R&D tax credits and tax allowances are in turn not found to exert a statistically significant impact on project quality. -- |
| Keywords: | corporate taxation,research and development,micro data |
| JEL: | H3 H7 J5 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fziddp:662013&r=knm |
| By: | OECD |
| Abstract: | The OECD's Towards Green Growth states that green growth is about fostering economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies. To do this it is necessary to foster investment and innovation, which will underpin sustained growth and give rise to new economic opportunities... |
| Date: | 2013–02–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:cfeaab:2013/1-en&r=knm |