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Investment Subsidies Effectiveness: Evidence from a Regional Program

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  • Simone Chinetti

    (University of Salerno)

Abstract

I provide novel empirical evidence on the effectiveness of public funding in lagging behind areas by investigating the effect of a subsidy program implemented in the Campania region (South Italy) and targeting SMEs. By relying on a Difference-in-Differences approach, my estimates demonstrate that the regional program produces a sizable increase in private firms’ innovative investment spending. However, I show also large heterogeneity in the firms’ response. In particular, I find that the positive effect on investment, compatible with the input-additionality hypothesis, comes from medium-large firms and low-tech medium-large enterprises. Finally, I show that the program has considerable indirect effects on medium-large low tech service firms’ labour demand but not on overall firms’ productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Simone Chinetti, 2023. "Investment Subsidies Effectiveness: Evidence from a Regional Program," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(2), pages 723-759, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:italej:v:9:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s40797-022-00196-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s40797-022-00196-1
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovative investments; Public subisidies; SMEs; Regional policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • L52 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Industrial Policy; Sectoral Planning Methods
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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