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Technical Change, Efficiency, Firm Size and Age in an R&D Intensive Sector

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Author Info
Elina Berghäll
Abstract

The relationship between firm size and age relative to technical change and efficiency is examined in a highly innovative and dynamic sector, the Finnish ICT equipment manufacturing industry. A stochastic frontier model is applied to an unbalanced firm level panel over the period 1990?2003. The sample is representative of almost half of corporate R&D in Finland. The Method of Moments and Battese-Coelli efficiency measures are obtained to compare permanent and time-varying efficiency levels. Results show firm age to be relatively insignificant. New firms do not dominate technical change. In contrast, firm size makes a substantial contribution to productivity growth, technical change and efficiency. High elasticity of factor inputs result in, on average, highly increasing returns to scale. These factors point towards growing concentration and capital-intensity, which can be expected to further widen the productivity gap between small and large firms. To survive, smaller firms may need to combine frontier technology adoption with expanding scale, e.g., by mergers, to improve both technical and scale efficiency.

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Paper provided by Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT) in its series VATT Discussion Papers with number 390.

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Date of creation: 04 May 2006
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Handle: RePEc:fer:dpaper:390

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Related research
Keywords: ICT industry total factor productivity technical change technical efficiency R&D elasticity firm size firm age

Find related papers by JEL classification:
O39 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Other
L63 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Microelectronics; Computers; Communications Equipment
O30 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - General

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  3. Winter, Sidney G., 1984. "Schumpeterian competition in alternative technological regimes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 5(3-4), pages 287-320. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Bronwyn Hall, 2002. "The Financing of Research and Development," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series 1004, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Acs, Zoltan J & Audretsch, David B, 1988. "Innovation in Large and Small Firms: An Empirical Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(4), pages 678-90, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Mika Maliranta, 2001. "Productivity Growth and Micro-level Restructuring. Finnish experiences during the turbulent decades," Discussion Papers 757, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. [Downloadable!]
  7. Paul Stoneman, Otto Toivanen, 2001. "The Impact of Revised Recommended Accounting Practices on R&D Reporting by UK Firms," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 123-136, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Eric J. Bartelsman & Mark Doms, 2000. "Understanding productivity: lessons from longitudinal microdata," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2000-19, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
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  9. Francesco Daveri & Olmo Silva, 2004. "Not only Nokia: what Finland tells us about "new economy" growth," Economic Policy, CEPR, CES, MSH, vol. 19(38), pages 117-163, 04. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. 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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  11. Cohen, Wesley M & Klepper, Steven, 1996. "Firm Size and the Nature of Innovation within Industries: The Case of Process and Product R&D," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 78(2), pages 232-43, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Rajshree Agarwal & Michael Gort, 2002. "Firm and Product Life Cycles and Firm Survival," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(2), pages 184-190, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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