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Interest rates, R&D investment and the distortionary effects of R&D incentives

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  • Uluc Aysun

    (University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL)

  • Zeynep Kabukcuoglu

    (Villanova School of Business)

Abstract

This paper conducts the first analysis of how interest rates are related to firms' allocation of investment between R&D and non-R&D activities and how R&D incentives alter this relationship. It theoretically predicts that if firms receive incentives mostly in the form of grants and subsidies that reduce their dependence on external nance, their share of R&D spending increases (decreases) during a credit tightening (easing). Conversely, if tax credits are the primary incentive, firms' decrease (increase) their share of R&D spending during a credit tightening (easing). The paper demonstrates empirical support for these predictions by using firm-level financial and sector-level R&D incentives data and a unique methodology that focuses on the within firm allocation of investment.

Suggested Citation

  • Uluc Aysun & Zeynep Kabukcuoglu, 2017. "Interest rates, R&D investment and the distortionary effects of R&D incentives," Working Papers 2017-04, University of Central Florida, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:cfl:wpaper:2017-04
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    Cited by:

    1. Aysun, Uluc, 2020. "Volatility costs of R&D," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    2. Uluc Aysun & Zeynep Yom, 2019. "R&D, innovation spillover and business cycles," Working Papers 2019-04, University of Central Florida, Department of Economics.
    3. Thomas H. W. Ziesemer, 2021. "The Effects of R&D Subsidies and Publicly Performed R&D on Business R&D: A Survey," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 236(1), pages 171-205, March.
    4. Chang, Kai & Zeng, Yonghong & Wang, Weihong & Wu, Xin, 2019. "The effects of credit policy and financial constraints on tangible and research & development investment: Firm-level evidence from China's renewable energy industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 438-447.
    5. Uluc Aysun & Sami Alpanda, 2023. "The cyclicality of income distribution and innovation induced growth," Working Papers 2023-01, University of Central Florida, Department of Economics.
    6. Uluc Aysun, 2023. "Technology diffusion and international business cycles," Working Papers 2023-02, University of Central Florida, Department of Economics.
    7. Uluc Aysun & Melanie Guldi & Adam Honig & Zeynep Yom, 2020. "R&D, Market Power and the Cyclicality of Employment," Working Papers 2020-01, University of Central Florida, Department of Economics.
    8. Blandinieres, Florence & Steinbrenner, Daniela & Weiß, Bernd, 2020. "Which design works? A meta-regression analysis of the impacts of R&D tax incentives," ZEW Discussion Papers 20-010, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    9. Uluc Aysun & Zeynep Yom, 2021. "R&D Characteristics, Innovation Spillover, and Technology-Driven Business Cycles," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 339-365, September.
    10. Grażyna Wojtkowska-Łodej & Elżbieta Jakubów, 2022. "The Role of Clean Generation Technologies in the Energy Transformation in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-18, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    R&D; finance; grants; tax credits; COMPUSTAT;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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