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How General Are General Purpose Technologies? Evidence from nano-, bio- and ICT-technologies in Finland

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  • Nikulainen, Tuomo
  • Kulvik, Martti

Abstract

General purpose technologies (GPT) have a significant impact on economic activity through radical technological change and wide technological diffusion. This paper aims to address the generality of technologies associated with the GPT concept. Information and communications technologies (ICT), biotechnology and nanotechnology are viewed as existing or potential general purpose technologies, but there is a lack of empirical evidence of their generality. This paper addresses the argument by using patent, industry and company level data from Finland. The results provide evidence that ICT, as expected, is a GPT. Nanotechnology shows signs of being potentially widely applicable, but for biotechnology the channels of technological diffusion seem to be fewer and more focused on areas where Finnish companies are less active. The results and discussion are also reflected on the newly formed innovation policy instrument in Finland - SHOKs (Strategic centres for science, technology and innovation), which aim to direct a large share of the Finnish public R&D subsidies towards more demand-based and incumbent-driven innovation activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikulainen, Tuomo & Kulvik, Martti, 2009. "How General Are General Purpose Technologies? Evidence from nano-, bio- and ICT-technologies in Finland," Discussion Papers 1208, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    • Handle: RePEc:rif:dpaper:1208
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    Cited by:

    1. Kalm, Matias, 2012. "The Impact of Networking on Firm Performance - Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms in Emerging Technology Areas," Discussion Papers 1278, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    2. Norbert Berthold & Klaus Gr�ndler, 2015. "The Growth Crisis of Germany: A Blueprint of the Developed Economies," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 195-229, June.
    3. Evangelos I. Gkanas & Vasso MagkouKriticou & Sofoklis S. Makridis & Athanasios K. Stubos & Ioannis Bakouros, 2013. "Nanotechnology and Innovation, Recent status and the strategic implication for the formation of high tech clusters in Greece, in between a global economic crisis," Papers 1303.5290, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2013.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    general purpose technology; technology diffusion; science-based technology; ICT; biotechnology; nanotechnology; SHOK;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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