An empirical note on international R&D spillovers

Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 22, 227–237, 2011

The paper estimates the impact on Total Factor Productivity of trade-related R&D spillovers by accounting for the economic distance between countries. The Average Propagation Length foreign R&D covers to reach a domestic country is used in building the foreign available R&D stock and to estimate its TFP impact vs. that of the domestic R&D stock. With respect to 20 OECD countries in the period 1995-2005, the impact on TFP of the available foreign R&D stock is greater than that of the domestic one. Results support the models that recognize indirect trade-related R&D spillovers and provide for them a more accurate interpretation.

European Economic Review, 2005

An influential literature argues that trade promotes knowledge flows and technology transmission between trading partners. This literature focuses on 'direct' R&D spillovers which are related to the levels of R&D produced by the trading partners. In this paper we argue that 'indirect' trade-related R&D spillovers also take place between countries, even if they do not trade with each other. These 'indirect' spillovers are associated with available rather than with produced levels of R&D. Our empirical results suggest that these 'indirect' trade-related spillovers are at least as important as the 'direct' ones, and strengthen the view that trade does matter for the international transmission of R&D. They also suggest that, due to the existence of these 'indirect' effects, bilateral trade patterns are relatively less important as determinants of the level of foreign R&D spillovers acquired through trade.

Global Economy Journal, 2004

This paper explores the role of imports as a mechanism of transmission of international technology spillovers and its significance for the growth of the OECD countries. For this purpose we estimate a version of the growth model proposed by , which includes two main modifications in order to better specify the nature of international knowledge diffusion. The first is the inclusion of the R&D capital stock into this framework. The second consist of using a direct measurement of international technology spillovers instead of using per capita GDP gap in respect to the leader country as approach to it. Our results reveal that international technology spillovers transmitted through imports have had a favourable influence on the economic growth of the OECD countries. However, they show the predominant role of the domestic human and R&D capital endowments in economic growth.

Coe and Helpman (1995) have measured the extent to which technology spills over between industrialized countries through the particular channel of trade flows, This paper reexamines two particular features of their study. First, we suggest that their functional form of how foreign R&D affects domestic productivity via imports is probably incorrect. We provide an alternative model which turns out to be more accurate, both theoretically and empirically. Second, we take into account two new potential channels of technology transfer: inward FDI and technology sourcing, as proxied by outward FDI. The empirical results show that outward FDI flows and imports flows are two simultaneous channels through which technology is internationally diffused. Inward FDI flows are not a significant channel of technology transfer. The hypothesis of technology sourcing associated with MNEs activities abroad is therefore confirmed while the widespread belief that inward FDI is a major channel of technology transfer is rejected.

European Economic Review, 1997

This paper extends Coe and Helpman's (International R&D spillovers, European Economic Review, 39, 859-887, 1995) study of international R&D spillovers amongst OECD countries by including a general human capital variable which accounts for innovation outside the R&D sector and other aspects of human capital not captured by formal R&D. This results in somewhat smaller coefficient estimates for domestic R&D capital and international R&D spillovers, but they remain highly statistically significant. General human capital is found to affect TFP directly as a factor of production, and as a vehicle for international knowledge transfer associated with productivity catch-up amongst OECD countries. It seems to play a distinct role from R&D in the economic growth processes of these economies.

2016

An influential literature argues that trade promotes knowledge flows and tech-nology transmission between trading partners. This literature focuses on ‘di-rect ’ R&D spillovers which are related to the levels of R&D produced by the trading partners. In this paper we argue that ‘indirect ’ trade-related R&D spillovers also take place between countries, even if they do not trade with each other. These ‘indirect ’ spillovers are associated with available rather than with produced levels of R&D. Our empirical results suggest that these ‘indi-rect ’ trade-related spillovers are at least as important as the ‘direct ’ ones, and strengthen the view that trade does matter for the international transmission of R&D. They also suggest that, due to the existence of these ‘indirect ’ effects, bilateral trade patterns are relatively less important as determinants of the level of foreign R&D spillovers acquired through trade.

Coe and Helpman (1995) have measured the extent to which technology spills over between industrialized countries through the particular channel of trade flows, This paper reexamines two particular features of their study. First, we suggest that their functional form of how foreign R&D affects domestic productivity via imports is probably incorrect. We provide an alternative model which turns out to be more accurate, both theoretically and empirically. Second, we take into account two new potential channels of technology transfer: inward FDI and technology sourcing, as proxied by outward FDI. The empirical results show that outward FDI flows and imports flows are two simultaneous channels through which technology is internationally diffused. Inward FDI flows are not a significant channel of technology transfer. The hypothesis of technology sourcing associated with MNEs activities abroad is therefore confirmed while the widespread belief that inward FDI is a major channel of technology transfer is rejected.

European Economic Review, 1997

This paper extends Coe and Helpman's (International R&D spillovers, European Economic Review, 39, 859-887, 1995) study of international R&D spillovers amongst OECD countries by including a general human capital variable which accounts for innovation outside the R&D sector and other aspects of human capital not captured by formal R&D. This results in somewhat smaller coefficient estimates for domestic R&D capital and international R&D spillovers, but they remain highly statistically significant. General human capital is found to affect TFP directly as a factor of production, and as a vehicle for international knowledge transfer associated with productivity catch-up amongst OECD countries. It seems to play a distinct role from R&D in the economic growth processes of these economies.

2001

This paper explores the role of imports as a mechanism of transmission of international technological spillovers and the significance of these for the growth and economic convergence of the OECD countries. For this purpose a growth model is estimated that includes amongst its determinants a measure of the stock of technological knowledge. The results reveal first that international technological spillovers transmitted through imports have had a favourable influence on the economic growth of the OECD countries, Secondly, they suggest that the capacity of countries to take advantage of those spillovers depend on their own human and R&D capital endowments.

BEA Working Papers, 2005