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FDI and quality-enhancing technology spillovers

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  • Morita, Hodaka
  • Nguyen, Xuan

Abstract

When Northern firms undertake FDI in the South, their superior technology spills over to Southern firms and enables Southern firms to enhance their product quality. This paper explores quality-enhancing technology spillovers in an international duopoly model of vertical product differentiation. We find that the Northern firm strategically reduces its product quality to limit the amount of technology spillovers upon FDI. The trade-off between the Northern firm’s endogenous product quality choice and technology spillovers—similar to that between R&D and technology spillovers as discussed previously–plays a critical role in welfare consequences and policy implications of quality-enhancing technology spillovers.

Suggested Citation

  • Morita, Hodaka & Nguyen, Xuan, 2021. "FDI and quality-enhancing technology spillovers," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:79:y:2021:i:c:s0167718721000801
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2021.102787
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    FDI; Quality-enhancing technology spillovers; Strategic quality reduction; Vertical product differentiation; Welfare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

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