IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/annpce/v90y2019i3p441-456.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Public Investment, Taxation And Transfer Of Technology

Author

Listed:
  • Iraklis KOLLIAS
  • Sugata MARJIT
  • Nickolas J. MICHELACAKIS

Abstract

A low‐wage developing economy (South) is interested in accessing and attracting superior technology from a high‐wage developed economy (North) with firms having heterogeneous quality of technology. To improve upon the initial market equilibrium, which shows that relatively inefficient technologies will move to the South, the host government invests in infrastructure financed through taxing the foreign firms. We discuss the problem of existence of such a tax‐transfer mechanism within a balanced budget framework. We argue that such a policy can increase tax revenue as well as instigate the transfer of better quality technology. It turns out that this policy is more likely to be successful when the production concerns high‐value, high‐price products in low‐wage economies. Our results improve upon the conventional strategy of a tax break.

Suggested Citation

  • Iraklis KOLLIAS & Sugata MARJIT & Nickolas J. MICHELACAKIS, 2019. "Public Investment, Taxation And Transfer Of Technology," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 90(3), pages 441-456, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:annpce:v:90:y:2019:i:3:p:441-456
    DOI: 10.1111/apce.12231
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12231
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/apce.12231?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James R. Hines, Jr., 1995. "Taxes, Technology Transfer, and the R&D Activities of Multinational Firms," NBER Chapters, in: The Effects of Taxation on Multinational Corporations, pages 225-252, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Marjit, Sugata, 1988. "A simple model of technology transfer," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 63-67.
    3. Ronald Findlay, 1978. "Relative Backwardness, Direct Foreign Investment, and the Transfer of Technology: A Simple Dynamic Model," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 92(1), pages 1-16.
    4. James R. Hines, Jr. & James R. Hines Jr. & R. Glenn Hubbard, 1995. "Taxes, Technology Transfer, and R&D by Multinational Firms," NBER Chapters, in: Taxing Multinational Corporations, pages 51-62, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Kabiraj, Tarun & Marjit, Sugata, 1993. "International technology transfer under potential threat of entry : A Cournot-Nash framework," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 75-88, October.
    6. Michelacakis, Nickolas, 2014. "A model of technology transfer under taxation," MPRA Paper 58632, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Raymond Vernon, 1966. "International Investment and International Trade in the Product Cycle," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 80(2), pages 190-207.
    8. Brander, James A., 1981. "Intra-industry trade in identical commodities," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Sugata Marjit & Arijit Mukherjee, 2015. "Endogenous Market Structure, Trade Cost Reduction, and Welfare," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 171(3), pages 493-511, September.
    10. Hong Hwang & Sugata Marjit & Cheng-Hau Peng, 2016. "Trade liberalization, technology transfer, and endogenous R&D," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 68(4), pages 1107-1119.
    11. Kamal Saggi, 2002. "Trade, Foreign Direct Investment, and International Technology Transfer: A Survey," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 17(2), pages 191-235, September.
    12. Beladi, Hamid & Dutta, Meghna & Kar, Saibal, 2016. "FDI and Business Internationalization of the Unorganized Sector: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 340-349.
    13. Krugman, Paul, 1979. "A Model of Innovation, Technology Transfer, and the World Distribution of Income," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(2), pages 253-266, April.
    14. Mukherjee, Arijit & Pennings, Enrico, 2006. "Tariffs, licensing and market structure," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(7), pages 1699-1707, October.
    15. Feldstein, Martin & Hines, James R. & Hubbard, R. Glenn (ed.), 1995. "The Effects of Taxation on Multinational Corporations," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226240954, December.
    16. Findlay, Ronald, 1978. "Some Aspects of Technology Transfer and Direct Foreign Investment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(2), pages 275-279, May.
    17. Kabiraj, Tarun & Marjit, Sugata, 2003. "Protecting consumers through protection: The role of tariff-induced technology transfer," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 113-124, February.
    18. Martin Feldstein & James R. Hines Jr. & R. Glenn Hubbard, 1995. "The Effects of Taxation on Multinational Corporations," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number feld95-2, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rajat Acharyya & Sugata Marjit, 2023. "Why trade when you can transfer the technology: Revisiting Smith and Ricardo," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1508-1527, September.

    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. Rajat Acharyya & Sugata Marjit, 2023. "Why trade when you can transfer the technology: Revisiting Smith and Ricardo," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1508-1527, September.
    2. Michelacakis, Nickolas, 2014. "A model of technology transfer under taxation," MPRA Paper 58632, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. James R. Hines Jr., 2005. "Do Tax Havens Flourish?," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 19, pages 65-100, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Christof Ernst & Katharina Richter & Nadine Riedel, 2014. "Corporate taxation and the quality of research and development," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 21(4), pages 694-719, August.
    5. Randall Morck, 2005. "How to Eliminate Pyramidal Business Groups: The Double Taxation of Intercorporate Dividends and Other Incisive Uses of Tax Policy," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 19, pages 135-179, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Egger, Peter H. & Wamser, Georg, 2015. "The impact of controlled foreign company legislation on real investments abroad. A multi-dimensional regression discontinuity design," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 77-91.
    7. Desai, Mihir A. & Foley, C. Fritz & Hines, James Jr., 2004. "The costs of shared ownership: Evidence from international joint ventures," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 323-374, August.
    8. Athukorala, Prema-chandra & Kohpaiboon, Archanun, 2010. "Globalization of R&D by US-based multinational enterprises," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1335-1347, December.
    9. Mihir A. Desai & James R. Hines, Jr., 1996. ""Basket" Cases: International Joint Ventures After the Tax Reform Act of 1986," NBER Working Papers 5755, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Desai, Mihir A. & Hines Jr., James R., 1999. ""Basket cases": Tax incentives and international joint venture participation by American multinational firms," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 379-402, March.
    11. Knoll, Bodo & Riedel, Nadine & Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian & Voget, Johannes, 2021. "Cross-border effects of R&D tax incentives," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    12. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & James R. Hines Jr., 2002. "Chains of Ownership, Regional Tax Competition, and Foreign Direct Investment," NBER Working Papers 9224, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Ghosh, Arghya & Morita, Hodaka & Nguyen, Xuan, 2018. "Technology spillovers, intellectual property rights, and export-platform FDI," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 171-190.
    14. Arghya Ghosh & Jota Ishikawa, 2018. "Trade liberalization, absorptive capacity and the protection of intellectual property rights," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 997-1020, November.
    15. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & James R. Hines Jr., 2002. "International Joint Ventures and the Boundaries of the Firm," NBER Working Papers 9115, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Desai, Mihir A. & Foley, C. Fritz & Hines, James Jr., 2004. "Foreign direct investment in a world of multiple taxes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(12), pages 2727-2744, December.
    17. Dudar, Olena & Voget, Johannes, 2016. "Corporate taxation and location of intangible assets: Patents vs. trademarks," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-015, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    18. Russell Thomson, 2009. "Tax Policy and the Globalisation of R&D," Departmental Working Papers 2009-03, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    19. Thomas A. Gresik, 2001. "The Taxing Task of Taxing Transnationals," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(3), pages 800-838, September.
    20. James R. Hines Jr. & Adam B. Jaffe, 2000. "International Taxation and the Location of Inventive Activity," NBER Chapters, in: International Taxation and Multinational Activity, pages 201-230, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D42 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Monopoly
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    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:bla:annpce:v:90:y:2019:i:3:p:441-456. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1370-4788 .

    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.