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Investment in vintage capital

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  • Jovanovic, Boyan
  • Yatsenko, Yuri

Abstract

We study an economy in which firms use labor and various vintages of capital in a CES production function for the final good. We explicitly solve for the investment in capital of a given vintage as a function of its age, and for the resulting stocks of capital. We show that for reasonable parameter values, inverted-U-shaped dynamics of investment and S-shaped dynamics for capital arise in equilibrium. We view the model as an explanation of intra-firm adoption lags, i.e., the observation that firms adopt innovations over time and not instantaneously.

Suggested Citation

  • Jovanovic, Boyan & Yatsenko, Yuri, 2012. "Investment in vintage capital," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 551-569.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:147:y:2012:i:2:p:551-569
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2010.10.017
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    15. Acemoglu, Daron, 2012. "Introduction to economic growth," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 545-550.
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    21. Kredler, Matthias, 2014. "Vintage human capital and learning curves," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 154-178.
    22. Førsund, Finn R. & Vislie, Jon, 2016. "Leif Johansen on intra-industry structural change," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 515-527.
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    24. Livdan, Dmitry & Nezlobin, Alexander, 2021. "Investment, capital stock, and replacement cost of assets when economic depreciation is non-geometric," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108639, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    25. Joseba Martinez, 2018. "Automation, Growth and Factor Shares," 2018 Meeting Papers 736, Society for Economic Dynamics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Vintage capital models; CES function; General equilibrium; Technological change; Intra-firm adoption lags; Optimal control;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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