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Does FDI spur innovation, productivity and knowledge sourcing by incumbent firms? Evidence from manufacturing industry in Estonia

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  • Priit Vahter

Abstract

Does FDI affect productivity growth, innovation, and knowledge sourcing activities of domestic firms? This study employs detailed firm-level panel-data from Estonia’s manufacturing sector to investigate different channels through which FDI can affect domestic firms. I use instrumental variables approach to identify the effects. I find no evidence of an effect of FDI entry on local incumbents’ TFP and labour productivity growth in the short term. The effect on productivity does not depend on the local firms’ distance to the productivity frontier. However, there are positive spillovers on process innovation. The results show significant positive correlation between the entry of FDI in a sector and the more direct measures of spillovers in subsequent periods. This is consistent with the view that FDI inflow to a sector intensifies knowledge flows to domestic firms.

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  • Priit Vahter, 2010. "Does FDI spur innovation, productivity and knowledge sourcing by incumbent firms? Evidence from manufacturing industry in Estonia," Discussion Papers 10/09, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    • Handle: RePEc:not:notgep:10/09
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    Cited by:

    1. ITO Keiko, 2011. "Entry of Foreign Multinational Firms and Productivity Growth of Domestic Firms: The case of Japanese firms," Discussion papers 11063, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Jaan Masso & Priit Vahter, 2012. "The link between innovation and productivity in Estonia's services sector," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(16), pages 2527-2541, December.
    3. Robert Price & Andreas Wörgötter, 2011. "Estonia: Making the Most of Globalisation," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 876, OECD Publishing.
    4. MILEA, Camelia, 2015. "Connections Between Foreign Direct Investments And Research-Developmentinnovation Activity," Studii Financiare (Financial Studies), Centre of Financial and Monetary Research "Victor Slavescu", vol. 19(1), pages 102-120.
    5. Napiórkowski1 Tomasz M., 2014. "International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment as Innovation Factors of the U.S. Economy," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 41(1), pages 60-75, March.
    6. Priit Vahter, 2011. "Learning By Exporting: Evidence Based on Data of Knowledge Flows from Innovation Surveys in Estonia," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp1011, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    7. P. A. Nazarov & Kazakova, Maria, 2014. "Methodological Principles of Prediction of Tax Revenues of Budgetary System," Published Papers r90219, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    8. Elmawazini, Khaled & Atallah, Gamal & Rafiquzzaman, Mohammed & Guesmi, Khaled, 2022. "Do regulatory policies matter to corporate innovation?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    foreign direct investment; innovation; productivity; knowledge flows;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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