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A novel approach to national technological accumulation and absorptive capacity: Aggregating Cohen and Levinthal

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Narula,Rajneesh
Criscuolo,Paola (MERIT)

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Abstract

The paper develops a more precise specification and understanding of the process of national-levelknowledge accumulation and absorptive capabilities by applying the reasoning and evidence from the firm-levelanalysis pioneered by Cohen and Levinthal (1989, 1990). In doing so, we acknowledge that significant cross-bordereffects due to the role of both inward and outward FDI exist and that assimilation of foreign knowledge is not onlyconfined to catching-up economies but is also carried out by countries at the frontier-sharing phase. We postulate anon-linear relationship between national absorptive capacity and the technological gap, due to the effects of thecumulative nature of the learning process and the increase complexity of external knowledge as the country approachesthe technological frontier. We argue that national absorptive capacity and the accumulation of knowledge stock aresimultaneously determined. This implies that different phases of technological development require different strategies.During the catching-up phase, knowledge accumulation occurs predominately through the absorption of trade and/orinward FDI-related R&D spillovers. At the pre-frontier-sharing phase onwards, increases in the knowledge base occurlargely through independent knowledge creation and actively accessing foreign-located technological spillovers, interalia through outward FDI-related R&D, joint ventures and strategic alliances.

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Paper provided by Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology in its series Research Memoranda with number 018.

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Date of creation: 2002
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Handle: RePEc:dgr:umamer:2002018

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Keywords: economics of technology

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This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports: References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Narula,Rajneesh, 1999. "Choosing between internal and non-internal R&D activities: some technological and economic factors," Research Memoranda 022, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  2. Keller, Wolfgang, 1996. "Absorptive capacity: On the creation and acquisition of technology in development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 199-227, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Wolfgang Becker & Juergen Peters, 2000. "Technological Opportunities, Absorptive Capacities, and Innovation," Discussion Paper Series 195, Universitaet Augsburg, Institute for Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Glass, Amy Jocelyn & Saggi, Kamal, 1998. "International technology transfer and the technology gap," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 369-398, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Kokko, Ari, 1994. "Technology, market characteristics, and spillovers," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 279-293, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. 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)
  7. Reddy, N. Mohan & Zhao, Liming, 1990. "International technology transfer: A review," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 285-307, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-96, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Coe, David T & Helpman, Elhanan & Hoffmaister, Alexander, 1995. "North-South R&D Spillovers," CEPR Discussion Papers 1133, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Xu, Bin, 2000. "Multinational enterprises, technology diffusion, and host country productivity growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 477-493, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Jaffe, Adam B & Trajtenberg, Manuel & Henderson, Rebecca, 1993. "Geographic Localization of Knowledge Spillovers as Evidenced by Patent Citations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 108(3), pages 577-98, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Narula, Rajneesh, 2002. "Innovation systems and 'inertia' in R&D location: Norwegian firms and the role of systemic lock-in," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 795-816, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Lall, Sanjaya, 1992. "Technological capabilities and industrialization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 165-186, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Brian J. Aitken & Ann E. Harrison, 1999. "Do Domestic Firms Benefit from Direct Foreign Investment? Evidence from Venezuela," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(3), pages 605-618, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Bart Verspagen & Marjolein C.J. Cani, ls, 2001. "Barriers to knowledge spillovers and regional convergence in an evolutionary model," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 307-329. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Romer, Paul, 1993. "Idea gaps and object gaps in economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 543-573, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Coe, David T. & Helpman, Elhanan, 1995. "International R&D spillovers," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 859-887, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  18. Barro, Robert J & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1997. " Technological Diffusion, Convergence, and Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-26, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  19. Caves, Richard E, 1974. "Multinational Firms, Competition, and Productivity in Host-Country Markets," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 41(162), pages 176-93, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages S71-102, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  21. Henrik Braconier & Karolina Ekholm & Karen Knarvik, 2001. "In search of FDI-transmitted R&D spillovers: A study based on Swedish data," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 137(4), pages 644-665, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Habiyaremye, Alexis, 2005. "Dependence on Primary Commodities and Poverty Traps in Sub-Saharan Africa: Devising strategies and building capabilities for diversification," Discussion Papers 09, United Nations University, Institute for New Technologies. [Downloadable!]
  2. Lall, Sanjaya & Narula,Rajneesh, 2004. "FDI and its role in economic development: Do we need a new agenda?," Research Memoranda 019, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  3. Narula,Rajneesh & Marin,Anabel, 2003. "FDI spillovers, absorptive capacities and human capital development: evidence from Argentina," Research Memoranda 018, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  4. Narula,Rajneesh, 2002. "The implications of growing cross-border interdependence for systems of innovation," Research Memoranda 019, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  5. Narula,Rajneesh & Portelli,Brian, 2004. "Foreign direct investment and economic development: Opportunities and limitations from a developing country perspective," Research Memoranda 009, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  6. Narula,Rajneesh, 2002. "Switching from import substitution to the ‘New Economic Model’ in Latin America: A case of not learning from Asia," Research Memoranda 042, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  7. Rejneesh Narula, 2004. "Understanding Absorptive Capacities in an "Innovation Systems" Context: Consequences for Economic and Employment Growth," DRUID Working Papers 04-02, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies. [Downloadable!]
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