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The impact of public R&D support on firms' patenting

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Abstract

We examine the impact of both R&D tax credits and direct R&D subsidies on Norwegian firms' patenting. Whereas direct subsidies are aimed at projects with low private and high social return, tax credits do not discriminate between projects or technologies. We find that both direct subsidies and tax credits have significant positive effects on patenting. However, the magnitude of the effects depend critically on the firms' pre-treatment characteristics. In particular, the statistically significant estimates are all related to firms with no patent applications prior to obtaining support. Moreover, we estimate that direct subsidies have triggered at least three times as many granted patents per NOK million of support compared to tax credits. Our results suggest that R&D support should be directed to promote innovations at the extensive margin, i.e. to firms with a high potential of becoming innovative rather than to firms with a record of being innovative. Moreover, as targeted subsidies generate more innovations, society would benefit from distributing more of the subsidies to priority areas.

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  • Brita Bye & Marit Klemetsen & Arvid Raknerud, 2019. "The impact of public R&D support on firms' patenting," Discussion Papers 911, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssb:dispap:911
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    Cited by:

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    2. Sharif, Naubahar & Chandra, Kevin & Mansoor, Athar & Sinha, Kirti Bhasin, 2021. "A comparative analysis of research and development spending and total factor productivity growth in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 108-120.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Patenting; R&D policy; Treatment effects; Stratification; Matching; Poisson regression;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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