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International Spillovers and Absorptive Capacity: A cross-country, cross-sector analysis based on European patents and citations

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  • Maria Luisa Mancusi

Abstract

This paper provides an empirical assessment of the effect of national and international knowledge spillovers on innovation at a finely defined sectoral level for six major industrialised countries over the period 1981-1995. International spillovers are always found to be effective in increasing innovative productivity. The paper then uses self-citations to investigate the role of prior R&D experience in enhancing a country¿s ability to understand and improve upon external knowledge (absorptive capacity). The empirical results show that absorptive capacity increases the elasticity of a country¿s innovation to both national and international spillovers. The larger the gap of a country with the technological leaders, the weaker is this effect, but the larger is the country¿s potential to increase it.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Luisa Mancusi, 2004. "International Spillovers and Absorptive Capacity: A cross-country, cross-sector analysis based on European patents and citations," STICERD - Economics of Industry Papers 35, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:stieip:35
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    Cited by:

    1. Weinhold, Diana & Nair-Reichert, Usha, 2009. "Innovation, Inequality and Intellectual Property Rights," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 889-901, May.
    2. Armando Silva & Ana Paula Africano & Oscar Afonso, 2009. "Which Portuguese firms are more innovative? The importance of multinationals and exporters," FEP Working Papers 326, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    3. Beatriz Pereira Almeida & Eduardo Gonçalves & André Suriane Silva & Raquel Coelho Reis, 2021. "Internalization of knowledge spillovers by regions: a measure based on self-citation patents," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 66(2), pages 309-330, April.
    4. Andreas Poldahl, 2012. "The Two Faces of R&D: Does Firm Absorptive Capacity Matter?," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 221-237, June.
    5. Liu, Xiaohui & Buck, Trevor, 2007. "Innovation performance and channels for international technology spillovers: Evidence from Chinese high-tech industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 355-366, April.
    6. Sirine Mnif & Chiraz Feki & Ines Abdelkafi, 2018. "Effects of Technological Shock on Employment: Application of Structural Approach VECM," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(4), pages 1138-1153, December.
    7. Miao Fu & Xiaolan Fu & Tieli Li, 2008. "International and Intra-national Technology Spillovers and Technology Development Paths in Developing Countries: The Case of China," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-96, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Jingjing Yang & Helian Xu & Chengang Wang & Mingyong Lai & Yingqi Wei, 2009. "Productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment in Chinese industries," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(4), pages 429-446.
    9. Xing Gao & Keyu Zhai & Yue Qiu & Mengqiu Cao & Meiling Wu, 2020. "Innovation Institution and Spatial Transfer of Energy Industry: The Case of Jiangsu Province, China," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440199, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    R&D spillovers; absorptive capacity and patent citations.;

    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
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation

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