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Employment Growth from the Small Business Innovation Research Program

Author

Listed:
  • Albert Link

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics)

  • John Scott

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics)

Abstract

This paper investigates employment growth in small firms funded by the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Using data collected by the National Research Council for each of five federal agencies, our analysis shows that on average over two-fifths of all projects retained 0 employees after completion and over one-third retained only 1 or 2 employees. Thus, on average, the direct impact of SBIR funded projects on employment is small, especially when compared to the mean number of employees in the firms. However, there are substantial cross-project differences in the number of retained employees that are explained by differences in the firms and their SBIR projects. We find across funding agencies that projects with intellectual property—patents, copyrights, trademarks, or publications—retained more employees after completion of the project. Also, we find that the public funding of research by the SBIR program is more likely to stimulate employment when the government created a market for the products, processes, or services developed by the research projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert Link & John Scott, 2010. "Employment Growth from the Small Business Innovation Research Program," UNCG Economics Working Papers 10-8, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:uncgec:2010_008
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    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Stephen Petrie & Mitchell Adams & Ben Mitra‐Kahn & Matthew Johnson & Russell Thomson & Paul Jensen & Alfons Palangkaraya & Elizabeth Webster, 2020. "TM‐Link: An Internationally Linked Trademark Database," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 53(2), pages 254-269, June.
    3. Haga Elimam, 2017. "The Role of Small Businesses (Small Scale Economic Projects) in Alleviating the Acuity of Unemployment," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(3), pages 120-132, March.
    4. Oliver Falck & Simon Wiederhold, 2013. "Demand-Oriented Innovation Policy: A Critical Review," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 51, July.
    5. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2013. "Public R&D subsidies, outside private support, and employment growth," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(6), pages 537-550, September.
    6. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2013. "Bending the Arc of Innovation: Public Support of R&D in Small, Entrepreneurial Firms," Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-37088-4.
    7. Christopher S. Hayter, 2015. "Social Networks and the Success of University Spin-offs," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 29(1), pages 3-13, February.
    8. Scott, John T. & Scott, Troy J., 2016. "The entrepreneur's idea and outside finance: Theory and evidence about entrepreneurial roles," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 118-130.
    9. Hiroyasu Inoue & Eiichi Yamaguchi, 2017. "Evaluation of the Small Business Innovation Research Program in Japan," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440176, February.
    10. Michael Hall & Albert Link, 2015. "Technology-Based Growth Policies: The Case of North Carolina’s Green Business Fund," UNCG Economics Working Papers 15-1, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    11. Emma Tredgett & Alex Coad, 2015. "The shaky start of the UK Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) in Comparison to the US Small Business Innovation Research Programme (SBIR)," Management Working Papers 10, Birkbeck Department of Management, revised Jun 2015.
    12. Schneck, Stefan & May-Strobl, Eva, 2014. "The economic contribution of start-up firms in Germany," Working Papers 02/14, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn.
    13. Felipe Rojas & Elena Huergo, 2016. "Characteristics of entrepreneurs and public support for NTBFs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 363-382, August.
    14. Mark R. Ayoub & Sandra Gottschalk & Bettina Müller, 2017. "Impact of public seed-funding on academic spin-offs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(5), pages 1100-1124, October.
    15. Sai Lan & Xiang Gao & Qing Wang & Yilin Zhang, 2018. "Public Policy Environment and Entrepreneurial Activities: Evidence from China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(3), pages 88-108, May.
    16. Falck, Oliver & Wiederhold, Simon, 2013. "Nachfrageorientierte Innovationspolitik," Studien zum deutschen Innovationssystem 12-2013, Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation (EFI) - Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation, Berlin.
    17. David B. Audretsch, 2018. "Industrial Organization and the Organization of Industries: Linking Industry Structure to Economic Performance," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 52(4), pages 603-620, June.
    18. Maha Aly & David B. Audretsch & Heike Grimm, 2021. "Emotional skills for entrepreneurial success: the promise of entrepreneurship education and policy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1611-1629, October.
    19. Albert Link & John Scott, 2017. "Toward an Assessment of the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program at the National Institutes of Health," UNCG Economics Working Papers 17-6, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    20. Albert N. Link & Christopher A. Swann, 2024. "SBIR mills and the U.S. Department of Defense," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 2306-2335, December.
    21. Helge Dauchert & Dietmar Harhoff & Patrick Llerena & Wolfgang Crasemann & Carla Dekker & Oliver Falck & Simon Wiederhold & Ludger Wößmann, 2013. "Innovationen auf Bestellung? Was von einer stärkeren Nachfrageorientierung in der Innovationspolitik zu halten ist," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 66(05), pages 03-19, March.
    22. Anna Kochenkova & Rosa Grimaldi & Federico Munari, 2016. "Public policy measures in support of knowledge transfer activities: a review of academic literature," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(3), pages 407-429, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J48 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Particular Labor Markets; Public Policy
    • L53 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Enterprise Policy
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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