IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wiw/wiwrsa/ersa14p820.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Determinants of technological innovation in SMEs. Firm-level factors, agglomeration economies and the role of KIBS providers

Author

Listed:
  • Roberto Ganau
  • Eleonora Di Maria

Abstract

The study of the determinants of innovation processes has received great attention in both the economics and the business literature. However, only few contributions have proposed a comprehensive framework able to bring together different but not mutually exclusive research approaches. This paper contributes to the analysis of the determinants of technological innovation - namely, product and process innovations - focusing on Italian manufacturing small and medium sized firms (SMEs) by accounting, simultaneously, for firm-specific characteristics, agglomeration economies and the role of KIBS providers. Specifically, the paper provides an empirical investigation which is built on a multi-dimensional theoretical basis which gathers the resource-based view of the firm and the new economic geography framework together. The empirical exercise employs data of about 4,000 Italian SMEs observed over the period 2004-2006 and drawn from the Unicredit-Capitalia database. Parametric probabilistic models are estimated in order to identify the joint effects of several potential determinants of successful technological innovation. Overall, results suggest that technological innovation in manufacturing SMEs is mainly driven by firm-specific characteristics. It emerges that experience and knowledge accumulated over time (i.e. age) as well as availability of human and capital resources (i.e. size) matter for being innovative firms. Moreover, innovative firms show both higher labour productivity levels and higher investments in R&D activities than non-innovative firms. Results partially support previous findings on the agglomeration-innovation relationship: overall, diversification (specialisation) externalities seem to positively (negatively) affect (high-tech) firms' probability of introducing technological innovations. Finally, results suggest that the spatial agglomeration of KIBS providers - i.e. being located in an area characterised by a high concentration of KIBS firms - does not matter per se: in fact, a positive effect emerges only when firms' heterogeneity in absorptive capacity is explicitly considered. Results show that only (low-tech) SMEs which invest in R&D activities benefit from a high geographic concentration of (professional and technological) KIBS firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Ganau & Eleonora Di Maria, 2014. "Determinants of technological innovation in SMEs. Firm-level factors, agglomeration economies and the role of KIBS providers," ERSA conference papers ersa14p820, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p820
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www-sre.wu.ac.at/ersa/ersaconfs/ersa14/e140826aFinal00820.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bruce Kogut, 1988. "Joint ventures: Theoretical and empirical perspectives," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), pages 319-332, July.
    2. Mary Tripsas & Giovanni Gavetti, 2000. "Capabilities, cognition, and inertia: evidence from digital imaging," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1147-1161, October.
    3. Fagerberg, Jan & Verspagen, Bart, 2009. "Innovation studies--The emerging structure of a new scientific field," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 218-233, March.
    4. Bayoumi, Tamim & Coe, David T. & Helpman, Elhanan, 1999. "R&D spillovers and global growth," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 399-428, April.
    5. Feldman, Maryann P. & Audretsch, David B., 1999. "Innovation in cities:: Science-based diversity, specialization and localized competition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 409-429, February.
    6. David J. TEECE, 2008. "Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 5, pages 67-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. David Doloreux, 2004. "Regional Innovation Systems in Canada: A Comparative Study," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(5), pages 479-492.
    8. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 1991. "Quality Ladders in the Theory of Growth," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(1), pages 43-61.
    9. Daria Ciriaci & Daniela Palma, 2012. "To what extent are knowledge-intensive business services contributing to manufacturing? A subsystem analysis," JRC Working Papers on Corporate R&D and Innovation 2012-02, Joint Research Centre.
    10. Hall, Bronwyn H. & Mairesse, Jacques & Mohnen, Pierre, 2010. "Measuring the Returns to R&D," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1033-1082, Elsevier.
    11. Gilles Duranton & Diego Puga, 2000. "Diversity and Specialisation in Cities: Why, Where and When Does it Matter?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(3), pages 533-555, March.
    12. Bengt-Åke Lundvall, 2007. "National Innovation Systems—Analytical Concept and Development Tool," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1), pages 95-119.
    13. G. M.P. Swann, 2009. "The Economics of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13211.
    14. Romijn, Henny & Albaladejo, Manuel, 2002. "Determinants of innovation capability in small electronics and software firms in southeast England," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 1053-1067, September.
    15. Pim Den Hertog, 2000. "Knowledge-Intensive Business Services As Co-Producers Of Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(04), pages 491-528.
    16. Jeroen de Jong & Patrick Vermeulen, 2004. "Determinants of product innovation in small firms: A Comparison Across Industries," Scales Research Reports N200410, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    17. Pavitt, Keith, 1984. "Sectoral patterns of technical change: Towards a taxonomy and a theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(6), pages 343-373, December.
    18. Bennett Harrison & Maryellen R. Kelley & Jon Gant, 1996. "Innovative Firm Behavior and Local Milieu: Exploring the Intersection of Agglomeration, Firm Effects, and Technological Change," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(3), pages 233-258, July.
    19. Beaudry, Catherine & Schiffauerova, Andrea, 2009. "Who's right, Marshall or Jacobs? The localization versus urbanization debate," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 318-337, March.
    20. Huergo, Elena, 2006. "The role of technological management as a source of innovation: Evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1377-1388, November.
    21. Raffaele Paci & Stefano Usai, 2000. "The Role of Specialisation and Diversity Externalities in the Agglomeration of Innovative Activities," Rivista italiana degli economisti, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 237-268.
    22. Amnon Frenkel & Daniel Shefer & Knut Koschatzky & Gunter Walter, 2001. "Firm Characteristics, Location and Regional Innovation: A Comparison Between Israeli and German Industrial Firms," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(5), pages 415-429.
    23. Hall, B.H., 2011. "Innovation and productivity," MERIT Working Papers 2011-028, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    24. Castellacci, Fulvio, 2008. "Technological paradigms, regimes and trajectories: Manufacturing and service industries in a new taxonomy of sectoral patterns of innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6-7), pages 978-994, July.
    25. Muller, Emmanuel & Doloreux, David, 2009. "What we should know about knowledge-intensive business services," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 64-72.
    26. Andrea Conte & Marco Vivarelli, 2014. "Succeeding in innovation: key insights on the role of R&D and technological acquisition drawn from company data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1317-1340, December.
    27. Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), 2010. "Handbook of the Economics of Innovation," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 1, number 1.
    28. Glaeser, Edward L & Hedi D. Kallal & Jose A. Scheinkman & Andrei Shleifer, 1992. "Growth in Cities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(6), pages 1126-1152, December.
      • Edward L. Glaeser & Hedi D. Kallal & Jose A. Scheinkman & Andrei Shleifer, 1991. "Growth in Cities," NBER Working Papers 3787, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
      • Glaeser, Edward Ludwig & Kallal, Hedi D. & Scheinkman, Jose A. & Shleifer, Andrei, 1992. "Growth in Cities," Scholarly Articles 3451309, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    29. Muller, Emmanuel & Zenker, Andrea, 2001. "Business services as actors of knowledge transformation: the role of KIBS in regional and national innovation systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(9), pages 1501-1516, December.
    30. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    31. Muller, Emmanuel & Doloreux, David, 2007. "The key dimensions of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) analysis: a decade of evolution," Working Papers "Firms and Region" U1/2007, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    32. Lydia Greunz, 2004. "Industrial structure and innovation - evidence from European regions," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 563-592, December.
    33. Gerben van der Panne & Cees van Beers, 2006. "On the Marshall--Jacobs controversy: it takes two to tango," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 15(5), pages 877-890, October.
    34. Ingemar Dierickx & Karel Cool, 1989. "Asset Stock Accumulation and Sustainability of Competitive Advantage," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(12), pages 1504-1511, December.
    35. John B Parr, 2002. "Agglomeration Economies: Ambiguities and Confusions," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(4), pages 717-731, April.
    36. Pierluigi Murro, 2013. "The Determinants Of Innovation: What Is The Role Of Risk?," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 81(3), pages 293-323, June.
    37. Belderbos, Rene & Carree, Martin & Lokshin, Boris, 2004. "Cooperative R&D and firm performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1477-1492, December.
    38. Nancy L. Stokey, 1995. "R&D and Economic Growth," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(3), pages 469-489.
    39. Koen Frenken & Frank Van Oort & Thijs Verburg, 2007. "Related Variety, Unrelated Variety and Regional Economic Growth," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(5), pages 685-697.
    40. Natarajan Balasubramanian & Jeongsik Lee, 2008. "Firm age and innovation," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(5), pages 1019-1047, October.
    41. Giulio Cainelli & Roberto Ganau & Donato Iacobucci, 2016. "Do Geographic Concentration and Vertically Related Variety Foster Firm Productivity? Micro-Evidence from Italy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 197-217, June.
    42. Coad, Alex & Segarra, Agustí & Teruel, Mercedes, 2013. "Like milk or wine: Does firm performance improve with age?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 173-189.
    43. Gerben Panne, 2004. "Agglomeration externalities: Marshall versus Jacobs," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 593-604, December.
    44. Cosh, A. & Zhang, J., 2012. "Variety of Search and Innovation: A Comparative Study of US Manufacturing and Knowledge Intensive Business Services Sectors," Working Papers wp431, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    45. Simone Strambach, 2010. "Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS)," Chapters, in: Philip Cooke & Carla De Laurentis & Stewart MacNeill & Chris Collinge (ed.), Platforms of Innovation, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    46. Parisi, Maria Laura & Schiantarelli, Fabio & Sembenelli, Alessandro, 2006. "Productivity, innovation and R&D: Micro evidence for Italy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(8), pages 2037-2061, November.
    47. Silva, Maria José & Leitão, João, 2007. "What Determines the Entrepreneurial Innovative Capability of Portuguese Industrial Firms?," MPRA Paper 5216, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    48. Malerba, Franco & Orsenigo, Luigi, 1996. "Schumpeterian patterns of innovation are technology-specific," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 451-478, May.
    49. Lydia Greunz, 2004. "Industrial structure and innovation," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/9461, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    50. Roberto Antonietti & Giulio Cainelli, 2011. "The role of spatial agglomeration in a structural model of innovation, productivity and export: a firm-level analysis," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(3), pages 577-600, June.
    51. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    52. Ingemar Dierickx & Karel Cool, 1989. "Asset Stock Accumulation and the Sustainability of Competitive Advantage: Reply," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(12), pages 1514-1514, December.
    53. Maria Laura Parisi & Fabio Schiantarelli & Alessandro Sembenelli, 2002. "Productivity, Innovation Creation and Absorption, and R&D: Micro Evidence for Italy," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 526, Boston College Department of Economics.
    54. David Doloreux & Richard Shearmur, 2012. "Collaboration, information and the geography of innovation in knowledge intensive business services," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 79-105, January.
    55. Anker Lund Vinding, 2006. "Absorptive capacity and innovative performance: A human capital approach," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4-5), pages 507-517.
    56. Belderbos, Rene & Carree, Martin & Lokshin, Boris, 2004. "Cooperative R&D and firm performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1477-1492, December.
    57. Gerben van der Panne & Cees van Beers, 2006. "On the Marshall - Jacobs Controversy It takes two to tango," DRUID Working Papers 06-23, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    58. Tether, Bruce S. & Tajar, Abdelouahid, 2008. "Beyond industry-university links: Sourcing knowledge for innovation from consultants, private research organisations and the public science-base," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6-7), pages 1079-1095, July.
    59. Baltzopoulos, Apostolos, 2009. "Agglomeration Externalities and Entrepreneurship - micro-level evidence from Sweden," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 190, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    60. Freel, Mark S., 2003. "Sectoral patterns of small firm innovation, networking and proximity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 751-770, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rosalia Castellano & Gaetano Musella & Gennaro Punzo, 2023. "Does context matter? Exploring the effects of productive structures on the relationship between innovation and workforce skills’ complementarity," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1991-2011, June.
    2. Beaudry, Catherine & Schiffauerova, Andrea, 2009. "Who's right, Marshall or Jacobs? The localization versus urbanization debate," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 318-337, March.
    3. Giulio Cainelli & Eleonora Di Maria & Roberto Ganau, 2011. "Agglomeration, related-variety and internationalisation. Does a relationship exist?," Openloc Working Papers 1114, Public policies and local development.
    4. Carbonara , Nunzia & Tavassoli, Sam, 2013. "The Role of Knowledge Heterogeneity on the Innovative Capability of Industrial Districts," Papers in Innovation Studies 2013/35, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    5. Alexandra Tsvetkova & Tessa Conroy & Jean-Claude Thill, 2020. "Surviving in a high-tech manufacturing industry: the role of innovative environment and proximity to metropolitan industrial portfolio," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 501-527, June.
    6. Baumann, Julian & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2016. "The link between R&D, innovation and productivity: Are micro firms different?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1263-1274.
    7. Park, Jeong-Il, 2020. "Industrial diversity in building units and factors associated with diversity: A case study of the Seoul Metropolitan Area," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(5).
    8. Martijn J. Smit, 2017. "Innovation through new blood," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 58(3), pages 543-578, May.
    9. Ning, Lutao & Wang, Fan & Li, Jian, 2016. "Urban innovation, regional externalities of foreign direct investment and industrial agglomeration: Evidence from Chinese cities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 830-843.
    10. Laursen, Keld & Salter, Ammon J., 2014. "The paradox of openness: Appropriability, external search and collaboration," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 867-878.
    11. repec:elg:eechap:14395_12 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Matthias Firgo & Peter Mayerhofer, 2016. "Wissensintensive Unternehmensdienste, Wissens-Spillovers und regionales Wachstum. Teilprojekt 3: Zur Standortstruktur von wissensintensiven Unternehmensdiensten – Fakten, Bestimmungsgründe, regionalpo," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59427, April.
    13. Carolina Castaldi & Jan Faber & Maikel Kishna, 2010. "Co-innovation by KIBS in Environmental Services: A Resource-based View," Working Papers 10-05, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies, revised Mar 2010.
    14. Francesca Mameli & Simona Iammarino & Ron Boschma, 2012. "Regional variety and employment growth in Italian labour market areas: services versus manufacturing industries," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1203, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Feb 2012.
    15. Andrzej Cieślik & Mohammad Mahdi Ghodsi, 2014. "Regional knowledge spillovers in the European Economic Area: The case of three high-tech industries," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 36.
    16. Yuandi Wang & Lutao Ning & Jian Li & Martha Prevezer, 2016. "Foreign Direct Investment Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation in Chinese Regions: The Role of Regional Industrial Specialization and Diversity," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(5), pages 805-822, May.
    17. Frank Van Oort, 2013. "Agglomeration Economics Beyond the Specialisation-Diversity Controversy," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1313, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2013.
    18. Liang, Jiaochen & Goetz, Stephan J., 2018. "Technology intensity and agglomeration economies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10), pages 1990-1995.
    19. Baltzopoulos, Apostolos, 2009. "Agglomeration Externalities and Entrepreneurship - micro-level evidence from Sweden," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 190, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    20. Nunzia Carbonara & Ilaria Giannoccaro, 2011. "Geographical Cluster Heterogeneity and Competitive Advantage: evidence from Italy," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1414, European Regional Science Association.
    21. Nunzia Carbonara, 2012. "Industrial district hetereogeneity and performance: evidence from Italy," Chapters, in: Charlie Karlsson & Börje Johansson & Roger R. Stough (ed.), Entrepreneurship, Social Capital and Governance, chapter 4, pages 83-101, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technological innovation; Manufacturing SMEs; Resource-Based Theory; Agglomeration Economies; KIBS providers; Italy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p820. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Gunther Maier (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ersa.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.