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Sector heterogeneity and dynamic effects of innovation subsidies: Evidence from Horizon 2020

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  • Mulier, Klaas
  • Samarin, Ilia

Abstract

We evaluate the effect of a pan-European innovation funding program on firm growth and innovative output. Using a difference-in-differences estimation on a sample of matched firms, we find that subsidized firms are able to invest more in tangible and intangible assets, achieve higher growth of turnover and employment, and file more patent applications. We then analyze the dynamic treatment effect and find that the effects of subsidization tend to get stronger over time. Moreover, our findings indicate that the effect of subsidization is highly heterogeneous across sectors with different R&D or knowledge intensity and level of competition. Finally, we explore some economic channels to explain how subsidies generate strong effects on firm performance. We show that subsidized firms are able to generate more internal financing and attract more long-term borrowing after receiving the subsidy, yet we find no evidence that subsidized firms are able to attract more external equity financing than similar unsubsidized firms.

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  • Mulier, Klaas & Samarin, Ilia, 2021. "Sector heterogeneity and dynamic effects of innovation subsidies: Evidence from Horizon 2020," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(10).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:50:y:2021:i:10:s004873332100144x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2021.104346
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Subsidies; Innovation; Policy evaluation; Difference-in-difference estimation; Sectors;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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