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Are there Diminishing Returns to R&D?

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  • Jakob B. Madsen

    (Department of Economics, Monash University, Australia)

Abstract

Semi-endogenous models and, to some extent, also Schumpeterian models are based on the assumption of diminishing returns to R&D. This paper shows that the null hypothesis of constant returns to R&D cannot be rejected for the OECD countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Jakob B. Madsen, 2006. "Are there Diminishing Returns to R&D?," EPRU Working Paper Series 06-05, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:kud:epruwp:06-05
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Chih-Hai Yang & Chia-Hui Huang, 2013. "Is Taiwan's R&D productivity in decline? A microeconometric analysis," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1), pages 137-155, February.
    2. Fernando Sánchez‐Losada, 2019. "How Important Are Scale Effects for Growth When Knowledge Is a Public Good?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(2), pages 763-782, April.
    3. Arusha Cooray & Antonio Paradiso, 2012. "The level and growth effects in empirical growth models for the Nordic countries: A knowledge economy approach," CAMA Working Papers 2012-36, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    4. Ziesemer, Thomas, 2019. "Can we have growth when population is stagnant? Testing linear growth rate formulas and their cross-unit cointegration of non-scale endogenous growth models," MERIT Working Papers 2019-021, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    5. A. Minniti & F. Venturini, 2014. "R&D Policy and Schumpeterian Growth: Theory and Evidence," Working Papers wp945, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    6. Jurriën J. Bakker & Oscar Afonso & Sandra T. Silva, 2014. "The effects of autocatalytic trade cycles on economic growth," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 486-508, June.
    7. Davis, Lewis S. & Şener, Fuat, 2012. "Private patent protection in the theory of Schumpeterian growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 1446-1460.
    8. Venturini, Francesco, 2012. "Product variety, product quality, and evidence of endogenous growth," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 74-77.
    9. Arusha Cooray & Marcella Lucchetta & Antonio Paradiso, 2013. "A knowledge economy approach in empirical growth models for the Nordic countries," Economics Working Papers wp13-06, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
    10. Tom Broekel, 2019. "Using structural diversity to measure the complexity of technologies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, May.
    11. Ang, James B., 2009. "CO2 emissions, research and technology transfer in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(10), pages 2658-2665, August.
    12. Jakob Madsen & James Ang & Rajabrata Banerjee, 2010. "Four centuries of British economic growth: the roles of technology and population," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 263-290, December.
    13. Rajabrata Banerjee, 2012. "Population Growth and Endogenous Technological Change: Australian Economic Growth in the Long Run," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 88(281), pages 214-228, June.
    14. Martin Falk, 2012. "Quantile estimates of the impact of R&D intensity on firm performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 19-37, July.
    15. Venturini, Francesco, 2012. "Looking into the black box of Schumpeterian growth theories: An empirical assessment of R&D races," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(8), pages 1530-1545.
    16. Francesco Venturini, 2011. "Product variety, product quality, and evidence of Schumpeterian endogenous growth: a note," Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica 93/2011, Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia.
    17. Barbero, Javier & Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, Jon Mikel & Zofío, José L., 2021. "Is more always better? On the relevance of decreasing returns to scale on innovation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    18. Dinopoulos, Elias & Grieben, Wolf-Heimo & Şener, Fuat, 2023. "A Policy Conundrum: Schumpeterian Growth or Job Creation?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    19. Hinloopen, Jeroen & Smrkolj, Grega & Wagener, Florian, 2013. "From mind to market: A global, dynamic analysis of R&D," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 2729-2754.
    20. Elias Dinopoulos & Wolf-Heimo Grieben & Fuat Sener, 2012. "The Conundrum of Recovery Policies: Growth or Jobs?," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2012-03, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    21. Nick Johnstone & Ivan Haščič & Julie Poirier & Marion Hemar & Christian Michel, 2012. "Environmental policy stringency and technological innovation: evidence from survey data and patent counts," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(17), pages 2157-2170, June.
    22. Banerjee, Rajabrata, 2011. "The US-UK productivity gap in the twentieth century: a race between technology and population," MPRA Paper 30889, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    23. Antonio Revilla & Zulima Fern�ndez, 2013. "Environmental Dynamism, Firm Size and the Economic Productivity of R&D," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(6), pages 503-522, August.
    24. Grieben, Wolf-Heimo & Sener, Fuat, 2009. "Globalization, rent protection institutions, and going alone in freeing trade," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(8), pages 1042-1065, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    returns to R&D; endogenous growth theory;

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

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