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How Special is the Special Relationship? Using the Impact of US R&D Spillovers on UK Firms as a Test of Technology Sourcing

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Rachel Griffith
Rupert Harrison
John Van Reenen

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Abstract

How much does US-based R&D benefit other countries and through what mechanisms? We test the "technologysourcing" hypothesis that foreign research labs located on US soil tap into US R&D spillovers and improvehome country productivity. Using panels of UK and US firms matched to patent data we show that UK firmswho had established a high proportion of US-based inventors by 1990 benefited disproportionately from thegrowth of the US R&D stock over the next 10 years. We estimate that UK firms' Total Factor Productivitywould have been at least 5% lower in 2000 (about $14bn) in the absence of the US R&D growth in the 1990s.We also find that technology sourcing is more important for countries and industries who have "most to learn".Within the UK, the benefits of technology sourcing were larger in industries whose TFP gap with the US wasgreater. Between countries, the growth of the UK R&D stock did not appear to have a major benefit for USfirms who located R&D labs in the UK. The "special relationship" between the UK and the US appearsdistinctly asymmetric.

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Paper provided by Centre for Economic Performance, LSE in its series CEP Discussion Papers with number dp0659.

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Date of creation: Nov 2004
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Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0659

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Keywords: international spillovers; technology sourcing; productivity; patents; R&D;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
O32 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
O33 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

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  1. Wolfgang Keller, 2004. "International Technology Diffusion," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 752-782, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Bruno Van Pottelsberghe De La Potterie & Frank Lichtenberg, 2001. "Does Foreign Direct Investment Transfer Technology Across Borders?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 83(3), pages 490-497, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. René Belderbos & Elissavet Lykogianni & Reinhilde Veugelers, 2008. "Strategic R&D Location in European Manufacturing Industries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 183-206, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Chiara Criscuolo & Jonathan E. Haskel & Matthew J. Slaughter, 2005. "Global Engagement and the Innovation Activities of Firms," NBER Working Papers 11479, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Carol Corrado & Paul Lengermann & Larry Slifman, 2007. "The contribution of multinational corporations to U.S. productivity growth, 1977-2000," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2007-21, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  4. Ulrich Doraszelski & Jordi Jaumandreu, 2007. "R&D and productivity : estimating production functions when productivity is endogenous," Economics Working Papers we078652, Universidad Carlos III, Departamento de Economía. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Maurice J.G. Bun & Frank Windmeijer, 2007. "The Weak Instrument Problem of the System GMM Estimator in Dynamic Panel Data Models," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 07/595, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Cincera, Michele & van Pottelsberghe, Bruno & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2005. "Assessing the Foreign Control of Production of Technology: The Case of a Small Open Economy," CEPR Discussion Papers 4945, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Yama Temouri & Nigel L. Driffield & Dolores Añón Higón, 2008. "Analysis of Productivity Differences among Foreign and Domestic Firms: Evidence from Germany," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 32-54, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Barrios, Salvador & Bertinelli, Luisito & Heinen, Andreas & Strobl, Eric, 2007. "Exploring The Link Between Local And Global Knowledge Spillovers," MPRA Paper 6239, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  9. TAKEDA Yosuke & UCHIDA Ichiro, 2009. "Technological Externalities and Economic Distance: A case of the Japanese automobile suppliers," Discussion papers 09051, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). [Downloadable!]
  10. Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi & Antonello Zanfei, 2008. "Exporters, Importers and Two-way traders: The links between internationalization, skills and wage," LEM Papers Series 2008/05, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy. [Downloadable!]
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