IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/uab/wprdea/wpdea1503.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Dynamics of firm participation in R&D tax credit and subsidy programs

Author

Listed:
  • Isabel Busom

    (Departament d’Economia Aplicada, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona)

  • Beatriz Corchuelo

    (Universidad de Extremadura, Departamento de Economía)

  • Ester Martínez-Ros

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Departamento de Economía de la Empresa)

Abstract

We provide comparative evidence on R&D tax credit and subsidy programs by studying whether firms' participation in each program exhibits state dependence and whether cross program interactions exist and are significant. We use a panel of manufacturing Spanish firms, which could use both types of support, to estimate a random effects bivariate dynamic probit model of program participation. We find that true state dependence of participation in R&D subsidy and tax credit programs accounts respectively for about 55% and 60% of observed persistence. In contrast, we do not find evidence of cross program interaction, suggesting that each tool is used by firms with different profiles. Digging on the role of some observable variables, we find that both programs reach on average stable R&D performers, and that they do not foster participation of young firms relative to older ones. We also identify significant differences across programs: while diversified and commercially successful firms are more likely to use tax incentives, those with high productivity are more likely to obtain subsidies. We discuss some policy implications of these findings

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Busom & Beatriz Corchuelo & Ester Martínez-Ros, 2015. "Dynamics of firm participation in R&D tax credit and subsidy programs," Working Papers wpdea1503, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
  • Handle: RePEc:uab:wprdea:wpdea1503
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ecap.uab.cat/RePEc/doc/wpdea1503.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yonghong Wu & D. Popp & S. Bretschneider, 2007. "The Effects Of Innovation Policies On Business R&D: A Cross-National Empirical Study," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 237-253.
    2. Rabe-Hesketh, Sophia & Skrondal, Anders, 2013. "Avoiding biased versions of Wooldridge’s simple solution to the initial conditions problem," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 346-349.
    3. Boris Lokshin & Pierre Mohnen, 2012. "How effective are level-based R&D tax credits? Evidence from the Netherlands," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(12), pages 1527-1538, April.
    4. Charles Bérubé & Pierre Mohnen, 2009. "Are firms that receive R&D subsidies more innovative?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 206-225, February.
    5. Wladimir Raymond & Pierre Mohnen & Franz Palm & Sybrand Schim van der Loeff, 2010. "Persistence of Innovation in Dutch Manufacturing: Is It Spurious?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(3), pages 495-504, August.
    6. Ufuk Akcigit & William R. Kerr, 2018. "Growth through Heterogeneous Innovations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(4), pages 1374-1443.
    7. Bloom, Nick & Griffith, Rachel & Van Reenen, John, 2002. "Do R&D tax credits work? Evidence from a panel of countries 1979-1997," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 1-31, July.
    8. Ufuk Akcigit & Douglas Hanley & Nicolas Serrano-Velarde, 2021. "Back to Basics: Basic Research Spillovers, Innovation Policy, and Growth," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 88(1), pages 1-43.
    9. Giovanni Cerulli, 2010. "Modelling and Measuring the Effect of Public Subsidies on Business R&D: A Critical Review of the Econometric Literature," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 86(274), pages 421-449, September.
    10. Bettina Peters, 2009. "Persistence of innovation: stylised facts and panel data evidence," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 226-243, April.
    11. Aschhoff Birgit, 2010. "Who Gets the Money?: The Dynamics of R&D Project Subsidies in Germany," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 230(5), pages 522-546, October.
    12. José Ángel Zúñiga-Vicente & César Alonso-Borrego & Francisco J. Forcadell & José I. Galán, 2014. "Assessing The Effect Of Public Subsidies On Firm R&D Investment: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 36-67, February.
    13. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2005. "Simple solutions to the initial conditions problem in dynamic, nonlinear panel data models with unobserved heterogeneity," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(1), pages 39-54, January.
    14. Martin Woerter, 2014. "Competition and Persistence of R&D," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5-6), pages 469-489, September.
    15. Antonelli, Cristiano & Crespi, Francesco & Scellato, Giuseppe, 2012. "Inside innovation persistence: New evidence from Italian micro-data," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 341-353.
    16. Wang, Cong, 2013. "Can institutions explain cross country differences in innovative activity?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 128-145.
    17. Raymond, Wladimir & Mairesse, Jacques & Mohnen, Pierre & Palm, Franz, 2015. "Dynamic models of R & D, innovation and productivity: Panel data evidence for Dutch and French manufacturing," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 285-306.
    18. Peters, Bettina & Roberts, Mark J. & Vuong, Van Anh & Fryges, Helmut, 2013. "Estimating dynamic R&D demand: An analysis of costs and long-run benefits," ZEW Discussion Papers 13-089, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. G. M.P. Swann, 2009. "The Economics of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13211.
    20. Francesco Devicienti & Ambra Poggi, 2011. "Poverty and social exclusion: two sides of the same coin or dynamically interrelated processes?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(25), pages 3549-3571.
    21. Elena Huergo & Lourdes Moreno, 2011. "Does history matter for the relationship between R&D, innovation, and productivity?," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(5), pages 1335-1368, October.
    22. Mark J. Roberts & Van Anh Vuong, 2013. "Empirical Modeling of R&D Demand in a Dynamic Framework," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 35(2), pages 185-205.
    23. Albert Bravo-Biosca & Chiara Criscuolo & Carlo Menon, 2016. "What drives the dynamics of business growth?," Economic Policy, CEPR;CES;MSH, vol. 31(88), pages 703-742.
    24. Busom, Isabel & Corchuelo, Beatriz & Martinez Ros, Ester, 2012. "Tax incentives or subsidies for R&D?," MERIT Working Papers 2012-056, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    25. Elena Huergo & Mayte Trenado, 2010. "The Application for and the Awarding of Low-Interest Credits to Finance R&D Projects," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 37(3), pages 237-259, November.
    26. Wiji Arulampalam & Mark B. Stewart, 2009. "Simplified Implementation of the Heckman Estimator of the Dynamic Probit Model and a Comparison with Alternative Estimators," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(5), pages 659-681, October.
    27. Takalo, Tuomas & Tanayama, Tanja & Toivanen, Otto, 2013. "Market failures and the additionality effects of public support to private R&D: Theory and empirical implications," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 634-642.
    28. Ben Westmore, 2013. "Innovation and Growth: Considerations for Public Policy," Review of Economics and Institutions, Università di Perugia, vol. 4(3).
    29. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2013_002 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Michel Dumont, 2015. "Working Paper 05-15 - Evaluation of federal tax incentives for private R&D in Belgium: An update," Working Papers 1505, Federal Planning Bureau, Belgium.
    2. Michel Dumont & André Spithoven & Peter Teirlinck, 2016. "Public Support for R&D and the Educational Mix of R&D Employees," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 62(3), pages 426-452.
    3. Dumont, Michel, 2017. "Assessing the policy mix of public support to business R&D," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(10), pages 1851-1862.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabel Busom & Beatriz Corchuelo & Ester Martínez-Ros, 2017. "Participation inertia in R&D tax incentive and subsidy programs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 153-177, January.
    2. Michel Dumont, 2015. "Working Paper 05-15 - Evaluation of federal tax incentives for private R&D in Belgium: An update," Working Papers 1505, Federal Planning Bureau, Belgium.
    3. Huergo, Elena & Trenado, Mayte & Ubierna, Andrés, 2016. "The impact of public support on firm propensity to engage in R&D: Spanish experience," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 113(PB), pages 206-219.
    4. Marta F. Arroyabe & Martin Schumann, 2022. "On the Estimation of True State Dependence in the Persistence of Innovation," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 84(4), pages 850-893, August.
    5. Pere Arqué-Castells & Pierre Mohnen, 2015. "Sunk Costs, Extensive R&D Subsidies and Permanent Inducement Effects," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(3), pages 458-494, September.
    6. Davide Antonioli & Sandro Montresor, 2021. "Innovation persistence in times of crisis: an analysis of Italian firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1739-1764, April.
    7. Bronzini, Raffaello & Piselli, Paolo, 2016. "The impact of R&D subsidies on firm innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 442-457.
    8. Syoum Negassi & Jean-Francois Sattin, 2014. "Evaluation of Public R&D Policy: A Meta-Regression Analysis," Working Papers 14-09, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    9. Erika Raquel Badillo & Rosina Moreno, 2016. "Are Collaborative Agreements in Innovation Activities Persistent at the Firm Level? Empirical Evidence for the Spanish Case," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 49(1), pages 71-101, August.
    10. Toivanen, Otto & Takalo, Tuomas & Tanayama, Tanja, 2017. "Welfare Effects of R&D Support Policies," CEPR Discussion Papers 12155, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Elisenda Jové‐Llopis & Agustí Segarra‐Blasco, 2018. "Eco‐innovation strategies: A panel data analysis of Spanish manufacturing firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1209-1220, December.
    12. Rammer, Christian & Schubert, Torben, 2016. "Concentration on the few? R&D and innovation in German firms 2001 to 2013," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-005, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    13. Cristiano Antonelli & Francesco Crespi & Giuseppe Scellato, 2013. "Internal and external factors in innovation persistence," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 256-280, April.
    14. Pere Arqué-Castells, 2013. "Persistence in R&D Performance and its Implications for the Granting of Subsidies," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 43(3), pages 193-220, November.
    15. Labeaga, José M. & Martínez-Ros, Ester & Sanchis, Amparo & Sanchis, Juan A., 2021. "Does persistence in using R&D tax credits help to achieve product innovations?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    16. Rituparna Kaushik & Sourabh Bikas Paul, 2022. "Do Competition Improve Persistence in Innovation Effort? Sectoral Patterns and Evidence from India," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 259-296, June.
    17. Bettina Peters & Christian Rammer, 2013. "Innovation panel surveys in Germany," Chapters, in: Fred Gault (ed.), Handbook of Innovation Indicators and Measurement, chapter 6, pages 135-177, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Claudia Pigini & Alessandro Sterlacchini & Francesco Valentini, 2023. "Persistence Of R&D Intensities In The World'S Top Investors In R&D," Working Papers 480, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    19. Simachev, Yuri & Kuzyk, Mikhail & Feygina, Vera, 2014. "Russian policies in support of innovation: elusive quest for efficiency," MPRA Paper 56750, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2022_002 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Takalo, Tuomas & Tanayama, Tanja & Toivanen, Otto, 2022. "Welfare effects of R&D support policies," Research Discussion Papers 2/2022, Bank of Finland.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    R&D; innovation policy; tax incentives; subsidies; persistence; dynamic random effects; bivariate probit;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:uab:wprdea:wpdea1503. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dept. Economia Aplicada (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dauabes.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.