Comparing the innovation performance in Canadian, French and German manufacturing enterprises

This paper compares pairwise the innovation performance of Canada with France and Germany, respectively. The comparison is based on two ordered probit models with sample selection, one where innovation is measured by the introduction of new-to-the firm products and one where it is measured by the introduction of new-to-the market products. The econometric analysis attempts to explain part of the country differences as the result of the sectoral composition of output, and the effects of size, environment conditions (proximity to basic research and competition) and innovation activities (internal R&D, the number of innovation activities, cooperation and government support). The Canadian firms benefit from being larger and more numerous in receiving government support, but suffer from a lack of competition and internal R&D. These structural effects combined, while informative, are not enough to explain a lot of the basic pattern of innovation revealed by the raw data. If we take the stronger measure of first-to-market innovation as a yardstick of innovation, the observed pairwise country differences are less strong, and our model explains a little bit more of the observed differences. Cette étude compare les performances d'innovation entre le Canada et la France d'une part, et entre le Canada et l'Allemagne d'autre part. La comparaison repose sur deux modèles de probit ordonné avec sélection. Le premier mesure l'innovation par l'introduction sur le marché de produits nouveaux pour la firme, le second par l'introduction de produits nouveaux pour le marché. L'analyse économétrique essaye d'expliquer une partie des différences nationales d'innovation par la composition sectorielle de la production, l'effet taille, les conditions environnementales (proximité de la recherche de base et concurrence) et les activités d'innovation (R-D interne, nombre d'activités innovantes, coopération et support gouvernemental). Les firmes canadiennes tirent avantage de leur plus grande tail(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)