IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eej/eeconj/v22y1996i4p401-410.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measuring Technology Diffusion and the International Sources of Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Jonathan Eaton

    (Boston University)

  • Samuel Kortum

    (Boston University)

Abstract

We describe a methodology to infer the extent of international technology diffusion and to decompose the sources of growth by nation. We compare the results from alternative implementation: of this methodology. A major finding is that the extent of international diffusion is substantial, with the United States contributing between a quarter to a half of the productivity growth in each of the other major research economies. Nevertheless, innovations do have a greater impact at home than abroad. For example. domestic innovations account for 60 to 70 per cent of U.S. growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Eaton & Samuel Kortum, 1996. "Measuring Technology Diffusion and the International Sources of Growth," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 22(4), pages 401-410, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:eej:eeconj:v:22:y:1996:i:4:p:401-410
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://web.holycross.edu/RePEc/eej/Archive/Volume22/V22N4P401_410.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Backus, David K. & Kehoe, Patrick J. & Kehoe, Timothy J., 1992. "In search of scale effects in trade and growth," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 377-409, December.
    2. repec:fth:harver:1473 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Samuel Kortum, 1995. "Research and productivity growth: theory and evidence from patent data," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 95-2, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Keller, Wolfgang, 2002. "Trade and the Transmission of Technology," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 5-24, March.
    5. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 287-343, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Benhabib, Jess & Spiegel, Mark M., 1994. "The role of human capital in economic development evidence from aggregate cross-country data," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 143-173, October.
    7. Ricardo J. Caballero & Adam B. Jaffe, 1993. "How High Are the Giants' Shoulders: An Empirical Assessment of Knowledge Spillovers and Creative Destruction in a Model of Economic Growth," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1993, Volume 8, pages 15-86, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Levine, Ross & Renelt, David, 1992. "A Sensitivity Analysis of Cross-Country Growth Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(4), pages 942-963, September.
    9. Eaton, Jonathan & Kortum, Samuel, 1996. "Trade in ideas Patenting and productivity in the OECD," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(3-4), pages 251-278, May.
    10. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 1991. "Quality Ladders and Product Cycles," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 557-586.
    11. Giovanni Dosi & Keith Pavitt & Luc Soete, 1990. "The Economics of Technical Change and International Trade," LEM Book Series, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy, number dosietal-1990, March.
    12. Frank R. Lichtenberg, 1992. "R&D Investment and International Productivity Differences," NBER Working Papers 4161, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Gregory Mankiw, 1995. "The Growth of Nations," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 26(1, 25th A), pages 275-326.
    14. Parente, Stephen L & Prescott, Edward C, 1994. "Barriers to Technology Adoption and Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(2), pages 298-321, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gao, Xue & Zhang, Yi, 2022. "What is behind the globalization of technology? Exploring the interplay of multi-level drivers of international patent extension in the solar photovoltaic industry," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    2. Kamilia Loukil, 2016. "Role of Human Resources in the Promotion of Technological Innovation in Emerging and Developing Countries," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 341-352, September.
    3. Pavel Ciaian & d'Artis Kancs, 2015. "Assessing the Social and Macroeconomic Impacts of Labour Market Integration: A Holistic Approach," JRC Research Reports JRC99645, Joint Research Centre.
    4. Carolina Guevara & Corinne Autant-Bernard, 2015. "Technological interdependence between South American countries: a spatial panel data growth model," Revue d'économie régionale et urbaine, Armand Colin, vol. 0(1), pages 181-210.
    5. Rodríguez-Castelán, Carlos & López-Calva, Luis Felipe & Barriga-Cabanillas, Oscar, 2023. "Market concentration, trade exposure, and firm productivity in developing countries: Evidence from Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    6. Verluise, Cyril & Cristelli, Gabriele & Higham, Kyle & de Rassenfosse, Gaetan, 2020. "The Missing 15 Percent of Patent Citations," SocArXiv x78ys, Center for Open Science.
    7. Robert E. B. Lucas, 2001. "Diaspora and Development: Highly Skilled Migrants from East Asia," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-120, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    8. Branstetter, Lee G., 2001. "Are knowledge spillovers international or intranational in scope?: Microeconometric evidence from the U.S. and Japan," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 53-79, February.
    9. Rashid NIKZAD, 2014. "Revisiting the Impacts of Domestic and Foreign Technology Spillovers on Canadian Industries, 1978-1997," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 14(1), pages 73-86.
    10. Eduardo Morales & Kamran Bilir, 2015. "The Impact of Innovation in the Multinational Firm," 2015 Meeting Papers 238, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    11. Peter M. Bican & Dirk Caspary & Carsten C. Guderian, 2023. "Cross-Border Dynamics of IP Modularity: International Patenting in LEDs and Lithium-Ion Secondary Battery Technology," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 347-376, April.
    12. Yasmina Reem Limam & Stephen M. Miller, 2004. "Explaining Economic Growth: Factor Accumulation, Total Factor Productivity Growth, and Production Efficiency Improvement," Working papers 2004-20, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    13. Jesús Crespo Cuaresma & Jaroslava Hlouskova & Michael Obersteiner, 2008. "Natural Disasters As Creative Destruction? Evidence From Developing Countries," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 46(2), pages 214-226, April.
    14. Connolly, Michelle, 2003. "The dual nature of trade: measuring its impact on imitation and growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 31-55, October.
    15. Gehringer, Agnieszka, 2016. "Knowledge externalities and sectoral interdependences: Evidence from an open economy perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 240-249.
    16. Elizabeth Webster, 2002. "Intangible and Intellectual Capital: A Review of the Literature," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2002n10, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    17. Luh, Yir-Hueih & Chang, Ching-Cheng & Huang, Fung-Mey, 2008. "Efficiency change and productivity growth in agriculture: A comparative analysis for selected East Asian economies," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 312-324, August.
    18. Upalat Korwatanasakul & Tran Thi Hue, 2022. "Global Value Chain Participation and Labour Productivity in Manufacturing Firms in Viet Nam: Firm-Level Panel Analysis," Working Papers DP-2022-34, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
    19. Raquel Ortega-Argilés, 2013. "R&D, knowledge, economic growth and the transatlantic productivity gap," Chapters, in: Frank Giarratani & Geoffrey J.D. Hewings & Philip McCann (ed.), Handbook of Industry Studies and Economic Geography, chapter 11, pages 271-302, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Michelle P. Connolly, 1998. "The dual nature of trade: measuring its impact on imitation and growth," Staff Reports 44, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eaton, Jonathan & Kortum, Samuel, 1996. "Trade in ideas Patenting and productivity in the OECD," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(3-4), pages 251-278, May.
    2. Eaton, Jonathan & Kortum, Samuel, 1997. "Engines of growth: Domestic and foreign sources of innovation," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 235-259, May.
    3. Tarlok Singh, 2010. "Does International Trade Cause Economic Growth? A Survey," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(11), pages 1517-1564, November.
    4. Rensman, Marieke, 1996. "Economic growth and technological change in the long run : a survey of theoretical and empirical literature," Research Report 96C10, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    5. repec:dgr:rugsom:96c10 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Wolfgang Keller, 2002. "Geographic Localization of International Technology Diffusion," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(1), pages 120-142, March.
    7. Gong, Guan & Keller, Wolfgang, 2003. "Convergence and polarization in global income levels: a review of recent results on the role of international technology diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1055-1079, June.
    8. Capolupo, Rosa, 2009. "The New Growth Theories and Their Empirics after Twenty Years," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 3, pages 1-72.
    9. Santacreu, Ana Maria, 2015. "Innovation, diffusion, and trade: Theory and measurement," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-20.
    10. Dinopoulos, Elias & Thompson, Peter, 2000. "Endogenous growth in a cross-section of countries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 335-362, August.
    11. Cem Ertur & Wilfried Koch, 2008. "A Contribution to the Schumpeterian Growth Theory and Empirics," Post-Print halshs-00327641, HAL.
    12. Mäki-Arvela, Petteri, 2002. "Testing the Neoclassical Model of Regional Economic Growth: A Panel Data Approach across the Finnish Provinces, 1973-1996," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 32(2), pages 223-253, Summer/Fa.
    13. Cem Ertur & Wilfried Koch, 2011. "A contribution to the theory and empirics of Schumpeterian growth with worldwide interactions," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 215-255, September.
    14. Klenow, Peter J. & Rodriguez-Clare, Andres, 1997. "Economic growth: A review essay," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 597-617, December.
    15. Stolpe, Michael, 1995. "Technology and the dynamics of specialization in open economies," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 738, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    16. Boyan Jovanovic, 1995. "Learning and Growth," NBER Working Papers 5383, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. de la Fuente, Angel, 1997. "The empirics of growth and convergence: A selective review," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 23-73, January.
    18. Robert W. Arnold, 2003. "Modeling Long-Run Economic Growth: Technical Paper 2003-04," Working Papers 14497, Congressional Budget Office.
    19. Gil, Pedro Mazeda & Afonso, Oscar & Brito, Paulo, 2019. "Economic growth, the high-tech sector, and the high skilled: Theory and quantitative implications," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 89-105.
    20. Peri, Giovanni, 2003. "Knowledge Flows, R&D Spillovers and Innovation," ZEW Discussion Papers 03-40, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    21. Aurora A.C. Teixeira & Natércia Fortuna, 2006. "Human capital, trade and long-run productivity. Testing the technological absorption hypothesis for the Portuguese economy, 1960-2001," FEP Working Papers 226, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Diffusion; Growth; Productivity; Technology;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eej:eeconj:v:22:y:1996:i:4:p:401-410. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Victor Matheson, College of the Holy Cross (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eeaa1ea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.