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Do Targeted R&D Grants Towards Potential Highgrowth Firms Increase Employment and Demand for High Human Capital Workers?

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  • Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov

    (Institute of Retail Economics (Handelns Forskningsinstitut))

  • Halvarsson, Daniel

    (the Ratio Institute)

  • Gustavsson Tingvall, Patrik

    (Södertörn University Stockholm, Sweden)

  • McKelvie, Alexander

Abstract

Most previous studies on the employment effects of government R&D grants targeting SMEs are characterized by data-, measurement-, and selection problems, making it difficult to construct a relevant control group of firms that did not receive a R&D grant. We investigate the effects on employment and firm-level demand for high human capital workers of two Swedish programs targeted towards growth-oriented SMEs using Coarsened Exact Matching. Our most striking result is the absence of any statistically significant effects. We find no robust evidence that the targeted R&D grant programs had any positive and statistically significant effects on the number of employees recruited into these SMEs, or that the grants are associated with an increase in the demand for high human capital workers. The lack of statistically significant findings is troublesome considering that government support programs require a positive impact to cover the administrative costs associated with these programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov & Halvarsson, Daniel & Gustavsson Tingvall, Patrik & McKelvie, Alexander, 2021. "Do Targeted R&D Grants Towards Potential Highgrowth Firms Increase Employment and Demand for High Human Capital Workers?," HFI Working Papers 23, Institute of Retail Economics (Handelns Forskningsinstitut).
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:hfiwps:0023
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation policy; R&D grants; Matching grants; Statistical matching methods; High human capital; Firm growth; Outcome additionality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H81 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Governmental Loans; Loan Guarantees; Credits; Grants; Bailouts
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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