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Innovation activity in South Africa: Measuring the returns to R&D

Author

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  • Andre Steenkamp
  • Mark Schaffer
  • Wayde Flowerday
  • John Gabriel Goddard

Abstract

Improvements in productivity are necessary to effectively increase economic growth in the long term. The literature emphasizes a positive correlation between firm-level innovation and productivity gains. It is unsurprising, then, that policy makers and researchers widely acknowledge that innovation is one of the major drivers of productivity growth, and is therefore of critical importance to the competitiveness and growth of firms. Research and development (R&D) expenditure is used extensively as a proxy for innovation in the literature.

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  • Andre Steenkamp & Mark Schaffer & Wayde Flowerday & John Gabriel Goddard, 2018. "Innovation activity in South Africa: Measuring the returns to R&D," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-42, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2018-42
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sofia Torreggiani & Antonio Andreoni, 2019. "Dancing with dragons: Chinese import penetration and the performances of manufacturing firms in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-63, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Amy Kahn & Moses Sithole & Yasser Buchana, 2022. "An analysis of the impact of technological innovation on productivity in South African manufacturing firms using direct measures of innovation," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 90(1), pages 37-56, March.

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