What exactly are technological regimes?: Intra-industry heterogeneity in the organization of innovation activities

This empirical study analyzes the patterns of innovation within and across industries using firm-level survey data from Finland and Denmark. The theoretical starting point is evolutionary theory with its premise that firms in different technological regimes pursue different paths to innovation. Similar modes of behaviour are found in the two datasets, and they closely correspond to those found in earlier studies. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, however, the results show that industries are not at all uniform in terms of how firms innovate; in almost all four- or five-digit NACE industries, three or more different modes of innovation can be identified. This suggests that firms’ strategic differentiation or local search activities overcome pressures in the technological environment towards homogenous behaviour, at least in the short term.     

Distance to the frontier and the perception of innovation barriers across European countries

Barriers to innovation have mainly been studied in a single country context. This paper studies differences in the perception of innovation barriers between innovative and non-innovative firms for 18 EU countries. The countries are grouped by their distance to the technological frontier using Community Innovation Surveys for the years 2002–2004 and 2004–2006. The results show that knowledge barriers related to the availability of skilled labour, innovation partners and technological knowledge are more important for firms located in countries close to the frontier, while the opposite is true regarding the availability of external finance. Moreover, while the share of innovators decreases with the distance to the technological frontier, the share of firms not interested or in no need of innovation increases. This is consistent with the idea that as firms approach the technological frontier, they increasingly need to focus on the creation of own knowledge and the adoption of innovation-based growth strategies to stay competitive.     

Cooperation in innovation activities: The importance of partners

This paper analyses the importance of cooperation partners for the development of innovation activities. We contribute to the literature on cooperation in innovation activities that seeks to identify the characteristics differentiating cooperative from non-cooperative firms by proposing a different approach to this problem. We distinguish firms according to their evaluation of cooperation partners in the development of innovation activities. We apply a probit selection model to account for the firm's decision to cooperate (or not). The data we use come from the Portuguese Third Community Innovation Survey. Our estimation results show that firms from high-technological industries, with higher levels of absorptive capacity and of innovation investment, who give importance to incoming spillovers management, and who cooperate with firms from the same group or with suppliers, place greater value on cooperation partners in the innovation process. Additionally, we also find that the factors influencing the importance attributed to cooperation activities are different from the ones behind the decision to cooperate.     

Does FDI bring knowledge externalities for host country firms to develop complex technologies? The catalytic role of overseas returnee clustering structures

Prior research has extensively studied FDI spillovers on broadly defined technological innovation but offered inconclusive evidence. Relatively little is known about how the knowledge characteristics of local technological development are shaped by FDI and the innovation context where this development takes place. We therefore study the influence of FDI presence on host country firms' technological progress with a focus on two factors: the underlying technological characteristic, complexity, which reflects the difficulties in recombining diverse knowledge combination for innovation, and an under-studied contextual contingency: the local clustering of returnees (skilled returned migrants) that creates different interactive environments for incorporating foreign knowledge. Using a unique sample of 35,376 firms over an 11-year period in China's equivalent of Silicon Valley, Zhongguancun, we reveal that FDI exerts a curvilinear spillover effect on local firms' technological complexity. Furthermore, we find returnees' clustering in related sectors heightens the effect of FDI spillovers on local technological complexity, whereas unrelated sectoral clustering flattens this U-shaped relationship, reducing FDI spillovers. We add to the debate on FDI knowledge externalities by highlighting the importance of considering knowledge characteristics and the contextual setting of returnee clustering in understanding FDI spillover effects on local technological progress. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Search patterns and absorptive capacity: Low- and high-technology sectors in European countries

Searching for externally available knowledge has been characterised as a vital part of the innovation process. Previous research has, however, almost exclusively focused on high-technology environments, largely ignoring the substantial low- and medium-technology sectors of modern economies. We argue that firms from low- and high-technology sectors differ in their search patterns and that these mediate the relationship between innovation inputs and outputs. Based on a sample of 4500 firms from 13 European countries, we find that search patterns in low-technology industries focus on market knowledge and that they differ from technology sourcing activities in high-technology industries.     

The impact of patent protection and financial development on industrial R&D

Stronger protection of patent rights is thought to spur innovation through securing returns to R&D investments. Those investments must be financed, however, suggesting that the responsiveness of R&D to patent reforms varies with financial development levels. We examine the joint impact of domestic and international financial-market development and patent protection on R&D intensities in 22 manufacturing industries in 20 OECD countries for the period 1990-2009. We show that stronger patent rights increase R&D intensities in patent-intensive industries, accounting for the need for external financing and the amount of tangible assets. The primary impact varies across types of financial development: patent protection raises R&D in high-patent industries where countries have more limited equity and credit markets. In contrast, in countries with more developed bond markets industry R&D is more sensitive to patent rights. Interestingly, patent rights in countries that are more exposed to foreign direct investment increase R&D intensities at all levels of financial development.     

多维邻近性对不同知识基础产业创新的影响——基于ANN和OLS回归双重检验

采用人工神经网络和普通最小二乘回归结合的方法,从全国层面以及东、中、西三大地区层面对地理邻近和认知邻近在合成型和解析型知识基础产业创新中的作用进行实证检验,得出地理邻近对合成型知识基础产业创新呈促进作用显著的半倒“U”型影响,作用强度高于认知邻近的弱正向影响;地理邻近对解析型知识基础产业创新呈狭窄倒“U”型效应,作用强度低于认知邻近的平缓倒“U”型影响;东部地区两种知识基础产业创新中的地理邻近初现饱和甚至抑制效应;中部地区合成型知识基础产业创新中的地理和认知邻近正效应突出,在解析型知识基础产业创新中为显著倒“U”型;西部地区两种知识基础产业认知邻近极其缺乏,对创新影响不显著。     

高技术产业创新效率区域差异研究

以1995—2009年31个省级行政区的高技术产业创新投入产出数据为样本,对高技术产业创新效率区域差异及其构成进行实证研究。结果表明,高技术产业创新效率存在较大的区域差异,创新投入强度是高技术产业创新效率区域差异的主要因素,区域产业结构对高技术产业创新效率区域差异有负效应,现阶段资源优化配置对高技术产业创新效率区域差距作用不显著。     

Societal trust and open innovation

While open innovation provides a new paradigm to sustain a firm’s competitive advantage, opening up to external knowledge also entails substantial risks of appropriation and opportunism. Building on this “open paradox” framework, this study investigates whether societal trust—a key aspect of informal cultural norms—serves as an effective mechanism in improving relational governance among partners, thereby leading to better collaborative outcomes. Using a novel panel data on co-owned patents across 29 countries, we show that firms in high trust countries are able to produce a higher level of joint output (i.e., co-owned patents). This effect is more pronounced when perceived opportunism is higher (i.e., firms in high-tech industries, or in countries with less disclosure transparency), and when formal contracts are less enforceable (i.e., in countries with relatively weak legal systems). We further show that open innovation is the channel through which societal trust promotes innovative efficiency. Overall, our study establishes societal trust as a key factor in influencing the efficiency of open innovation.     

知识产权保护对高技术产业创新效率的影响效应――基于空间计量模型的实证分析

基于2007-2018年中国30个省份的面板数据,运用数据包络分析测度高技术产业创新效率,以改进的GP指数量化知识产权保护程度,采用空间计量模型探究知识产权保护对高技术产业创新效率的影响效应.结果 表明,全国知识产权保护显著促进高技术产业创新效率的提高;东部地区知识产权保护对高技术产业创新效率的直接效应为显著正向影响;中部地区知识产权保护对高技术产业创新效率的直接效应显著为正,间接效应显著为负向;西部地区知识产权保护对高技术产业创新效率的直接效应为负但不显著,间接效应显著为正.结论 对于加强知识产权保护、促进创新效率提升具有启示意义.     

Organisational learning antecedents and open innovation: Differences in internationalisation level

The aim of this study is to inspect differences in internationalisation level of firms from a transitional economy based on their innovation outcomes, open innovation and organisational learning practices. Results indicate that firms with lower internationalisation level owe their innovation success to coupled and outbound open innovation practices that originate from market research, competitor tracking and public information. Mediating effect of outbound innovation is present in the relationship between market research and innovation success. Firms with higher internationalisation level do not exhibit significant effect of open innovation on innovation success, but their organisational learning antecedents such as market research and research and development negatively affect innovation success, while public information and forecasting have a significant positive effect on innovation success. The major contribution of this study is the understanding of how organisational learning antecedents and open innovation practices interact in firms with different internationalisation levels, whereby firms with higher internationalisation level already have competitive advantage that lower internationalisation firms need to achieve.     

创新质量对高技术产业绿色创新效率影响的异质性研究 ——基于产业集聚的门槛效应

摘要：绿色创新已成为推动经济高质量增长与实现生态可持续发展的重要战略结合点。运用SBM模型测算2008-2018年全国内地28省市高技术产业绿色创新效率,构建以高技术产业集聚为门槛变量的面板门槛模型,实证分析创新质量对高技术产业绿色创新效率的影响机理。结果表明：国内高技术产业绿色创新效率在研究期内稳步提升,但尚有较大提升空间;高技术产业绿色创新效率存在明显的空间差异特征,绿色创新效率东部地区>中部地区>西部地区;创新质量对高技术产业绿色创新效率的影响存在基于高技术产业集聚水平的双重门槛效应,企业规模、劳动者素质、政府行为对绿色创新效率具有显著正向影响,对外开放显著抑制绿色创新效率提升。     

环境规制强度与行业绩效关系研究——基于两类创新的中介作用

基于中国工业污染现状,采用2008—2016年工业35个细分行业的面板数据,建立面板数据模型,并根据污染程度,将35个行业划分为污染密集型和清洁生产型,分别研究环境规制强度对污染密集型行业和清洁生产型行业绩效的影响。同时,结合创新管理,探究产品创新与工艺创新在环境规制强度与行业绩效间的中介作用。结果表明,环境规制强度对污染密集型和清洁生产型的行业绩效均产生抑制作用;在污染密集型行业中,产品创新与工艺创新发挥着重要的中介作用,其中产品创新的中介作用大于工艺创新的;而在清洁生产型行业中,产品创新与工艺创新则发挥着完全中介作用。     

Knowledge economy measurement: Methods, results and insights from the Malaysian Knowledge Content Study

Building on a conceptual model of knowledge content, we discuss the methodology and results of a project to develop sectoral knowledge content measures in Malaysia. Through a survey of over 1800 Malaysian firms in 18 manufacturing and services industries, levels of knowledge content are assessed by sector. Industries vary in their emphasis on specific knowledge content components. Positive associations between technological innovation and at least one knowledge content variable are evident across all but four industries, although generally the results suggest that knowledge-based innovation is modest in Malaysia. Further insights and opportunities for policy from tracking knowledge content are considered.     

环境规制下的政府投入对工业行业创新效率的影响分析

在考虑到非期望产出的情况下,运用SBM模型测算了2009~2013年中国35个工业行业的创新效率,并利用Tobit模型分析环境规制下政府投入对创新效率的影响。研究表明:目前中国工业行业的创新效率仍有较大提升空间,污染行业的创新效率远低于清洁行业。政府投入对环境规制下的创新效率存在一定的促进作用,增加研发前的政府投入能够显著地促进环境规制下的创新效率,研发后政府投入的作用较小;污染行业政府投入的促进作用较为显著。由此可见,在环境规制强度日益趋严的背景下,采取政府主导的技术创新是可行之路。     

Technological regimes and the variety of innovation behaviour: Creating integrated taxonomies of firms and sectors

This paper presents an integrated set of innovation taxonomies for firms and sectors. It discards the practice of representing industries by some average behaviour, instead characterising them by the distribution of diverse innovation modes at the firm level. The theoretical focus is on (i) Schumpeter's distinction between ‘creative’ and ‘adaptive response’, and (ii) differences regarding technological opportunities, appropriability conditions and the cumulativeness of knowledge. Applying statistical cluster analysis, the empirical identification is based on the micro-data of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) for 22 European countries. The final cluster validation highlights the simultaneous diversity and contingency of firm behaviour with distinct technological regimes exhibiting systematic differences in the distribution of heterogenous firms.     

中国装备制造业的企业规模与创新

装备制造业在技术层面上决定了众多产业的竞争力和发展水平,而大企业又是装备制造业技术创新的主导力量。本文利用1995—2008年我国装备制造业14个3位数产业的面板数据,分别考察了技术创新投入、技术创新产出与企业规模之间的关系,主要结论为:(1)R&D经费支出、研发人员全时当量与企业规模之间表现为显著的倒U型关系;(2)新产品销售收入与企业规模之间呈现显著的倒U型关系,而以专利度量的创新产出与企业规模之间的关系并不明显;(3)市场结构对技术创新投入的影响并不明显,而市场结构与技术创新产出之间表现为显著的倒U型关系;(4)不论是对技术创新投入还是产出,国有企业比重都表现出显著的正效应。     

战略新兴产业的发展路径创新——基于创新生态系统的分析视角

战略新兴产业的发展是当前国内经济转型的核心内容,也是推动科技与经济社会互动的关键力量。战略新兴产业的发展涉及到多领域技术的协同创新和多种产业的联动配合,有效推动战略新兴产业的发展需要在特定区域内构建一个能支持持续创新活动的创新生态系统。安徽省合肥市新能源汽车产业的案例研究表明,战略新兴产业的发展路径主要在于:一是以产业内的核心企业为主,构建创新技术链和产业链进行创新要素的有效整合;二是通过企业边界开放,创造开放式创新机制以实现多主体协同创新。二者的最终目的在于构建支持产业可持续发展的创新生态系统。     

The impact of foreign technological innovation on domestic employment via the industry mix

This paper analyses how differences in the industry composition of British local labour markets moderate the impact of foreign technological competition in manufacturing on domestic employment, both overall and across subsamples of workers with different skill levels (high, intermediate and low). To this scope, it exploits both variations across industries in the exposure to the introduction of new technologies, and information on how such industries are combined in shaping the industrial structure of each place. The analysis shows that places that specialise in industries undergoing substantial technological competition due to foreign innovation experience a reduction in total employment that is 4.5% larger than places less exposed based on their initial industry mix. This negative performance is mainly explained by a decrease in the employment opportunities for intermediate-skilled workers. Limited support is found for successful adaptation trajectories over time across British local labour markets.