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Innovation and productivity in SMEs: empirical evidence for Italy

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  • Bronwyn Hall

    ()

  • Francesca Lotti

    ()

  • Jacques Mairesse

    ()

Abstract

Innovation in SMEs exhibits some peculiar features that most traditional indicators of innovation activity do not capture. Therefore, in this paper, we develop a structural model of innovation which incorporates information on innovation success from firm surveys along with the usual R&D expenditures and productivity measures. We then apply the model to data on Italian SMEs from the "Survey on Manufacturing Firms" conducted by Mediocredito-Capitalia covering the period 1995-2003. The model is estimated in steps, following the logic of firms' decisions and outcomes: in the first, R&D intensity is linked to a set of firm and market characteristics. We find that international competition fosters R&D intensity, especially for high-tech firms. Firm size, R&D intensity, along with investment in equipment enhances the likelihood of having both process and product innovation. Both these kinds of innovation have a positive impact on firm's productivity, especially process innovation. Among SMEs, larger and older firms seem to be less productive.

(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11187-009-9184-8
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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Springer in its journal Small Business Economics.

Volume (Year): 33 (2009)
Issue (Month): 1 (June)
Pages: 13-33

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Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:33:y:2009:i:1:p:13-33

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Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=100338

Related research

Keywords: R&D; Innovation; Productivity; SMEs; Italy; L26; L60; O31; O33;

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References

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