IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unm/unumer/2013028.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Innovation for economic performance: The case of Latin American firms

Author

Listed:
  • Arias Ortiz, Elena

    (Education Division, Inter-American Development Bank)

  • Crespi, Gustavo

    (Competitiveness and Innovation Division, Inter-American Development Bank)

  • Tacsir, Ezequiel

    (UNU-MERIT / MGSoG, and Competitiveness and Innovation Division, Inter-American Development Bank)

  • Vargas, Fernando

    (Competitiveness and Innovation Division, Inter-American Development Bank)

  • Zuniga, Pluvia

    (UNU-MERIT / MGSoG)

Abstract

In this paper, a wide range of innovation indicators are analysed in order to describe the innovation behaviour of manufacturing firms in LAC using the recently released Enterprise Surveys 2010. The Enterprise Surveys define innovation rates as the share of firms introducing product and process innovations. The survey also measures the proportion of firms investing in research and development (R&D) and filing for intellectual property rights (IPRs). The aim of this note is to understand the main characteristics of innovative firms and to gather new evidence with regard to the nature of the innovation process in the region. Statistics about the performance of LAC firms are provided using different types of indicators to measure firms' innovative behaviour. In particular, differences in innovation performance and effort by country, sector, and key firm characteristics, such as being a multinational or exporter, are explored. Those firms in LAC that are top R&D performers are identified, and the analysis closes with an exploration of firm characteristics that strongly correlate with the probability of being a top R&D performer in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Arias Ortiz, Elena & Crespi, Gustavo & Tacsir, Ezequiel & Vargas, Fernando & Zuniga, Pluvia, 2013. "Innovation for economic performance: The case of Latin American firms," MERIT Working Papers 2013-028, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2013028
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2013/wp2013-028.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rachel Griffith & Stephen Redding & John Van Reenen, 2004. "Mapping the Two Faces of R&D: Productivity Growth in a Panel of OECD Industries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(4), pages 883-895, November.
    2. Jose Miguel Benavente & Rodolfo Lauterbach, 2008. "Technological innovation and employment: complements or substitutes?," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 318-329.
    3. Mairesse, Jacques & Mohnen, Pierre, 2010. "Using Innovation Surveys for Econometric Analysis," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1129-1155, Elsevier.
    4. repec:fth:harver:1473 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2006. "Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(1), pages 37-74, March.
    6. Rita Almeida & Ana Margarida Fernandes, 2008. "Openness and Technological Innovations in Developing Countries: Evidence from Firm-Level Surveys," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(5), pages 701-727.
    7. Crespi, Gustavo & Zuniga, Pluvia, 2012. "Innovation and Productivity: Evidence from Six Latin American Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 273-290.
    8. repec:idb:brikps:75838 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Gustavo Crespi & Ezequiel Tacsir & Mariano Pereira, 2019. "Effects of innovation on employment in Latin America," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(1), pages 139-159.
    10. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Issues in Assessing the Contribution of Research and Development to Productivity Growth," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 17-45, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Pellegrino, Gabriele & Piva, Mariacristina & Vivarelli, Marco, 2012. "Young firms and innovation: A microeconometric analysis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 329-340.
    12. Zoltán J. Ács & László Szerb, 2011. "Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index 2012," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14235.
    13. Rachel Griffith & Elena Huergo & Jacques Mairesse & Bettina Peters, 2006. "Innovation and Productivity Across Four European Countries," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 22(4), pages 483-498, Winter.
    14. Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-596, September.
    15. Bulent Guloglu & R. Tekin, 2012. "A Panel Causality Analysis of the Relationship among Research and Development, Innovation, and Economic Growth in High-Income OECD Countries," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 2(1), pages 32-47, June.
    16. Pierre Mohnen & Bronwyn Hall, 2013. "Innovation and Productivity: An Update," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 3(1), pages 47-65, June.
    17. Robert E. Hall & Charles I. Jones, 1999. "Why do Some Countries Produce So Much More Output Per Worker than Others?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(1), pages 83-116.
    18. Borghans, Lex & Meijers, Huub & ter Weel, Bas, 2013. "The importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for measuring IQ," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 17-28.
    19. Jose Miguel Benavente, 2006. "The role of research and innovation in promoting productivity in chile," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4-5), pages 301-315.
    20. Carmen Pagés, 2010. "The Age of Productivity," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Carmen Pagés (ed.), The Age of Productivity, chapter 1, pages 1-21, Palgrave Macmillan.
    21. repec:idb:brikps:78759 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. repec:idb:brikps:publication-detail,7101.html?id=66767 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Enrico Santarelli & Marco Vivarelli, 2007. "Entrepreneurship and the process of firms’ entry, survival and growth," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(3), pages 455-488, June.
    24. Acs, Zoltan J & Audretsch, David B, 1988. "Innovation in Large and Small Firms: An Empirical Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(4), pages 678-690, September.
    25. Marco Vivarelli, 2013. "Technology, Employment and Skills: An Interpretative Framework," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 3(1), pages 66-89, June.
    26. Ginarte, Juan C. & Park, Walter G., 1997. "Determinants of patent rights: A cross-national study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 283-301, October.
    27. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 287-343, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    28. Jun-Youn Kim & Tae-Young Park & Keun Lee, 2013. "Catch-Up by Indigenous Firms in the Software Industry and the Role of the Government in China: A Sectoral System of Innovation (SSI) Perspective," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 3(1), pages 100-120, June.
    29. Harhoff, Dietmar & Korting, Timm, 1998. "Lending relationships in Germany - Empirical evidence from survey data," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(10-11), pages 1317-1353, October.
    30. Zoltan J. Acs, 2011. "The Global Entrepreneurship And Development Index: A Us Perspective," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(01), pages 43-66.
    31. Petri Rouvinen, 2002. "Characteristics of product and process innovators: some evidence from the Finnish innovation survey," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(9), pages 575-580.
    32. Harhoff, Dietmar & Körting, Timm, 1998. "Lending Relationships in Germany: Empirical Results from Survey Data," CEPR Discussion Papers 1917, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    33. Carmen Pagés, 2010. "The Importance of Ideas: Innovation and Productivity in Latin America," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Carmen Pagés (ed.), The Age of Productivity, chapter 10, pages 223-255, Palgrave Macmillan.
    34. Jens Matthias Arnold & Giuseppe Nicoletti & Stefano Scarpetta, 2008. "Regulation, Allocative Efficiency and Productivity in OECD Countries: Industry and Firm-Level Evidence," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 616, OECD Publishing.
    35. Zoltan Acs & László Szerb & Erkko Autio, 2017. "Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index 2016," SpringerBriefs in Economics, Springer, number 978-3-319-63844-7, June.
    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. King Yoong Lim & Diego Morris, 2023. "Firm‐level impact of the global financial crisis: Evidence on innovation from Latin America," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 3902-3917, October.
    2. Swati Agrawal & Poonam Singh & Mainak Mazumdar, 2021. "Innovation, Firm Size and Ownership: A Study of Firm Transition in India," International Journal of Global Business and Competitiveness, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 15-27, June.
    3. Sarela Enriquez-Perales & Conrado Diego García-Gómez & José María Díez-Esteban & Edmundo R. Lizarzaburu Bolaños, 2023. "Formal institutions, ICSID arbitration and firm performance: evidence from Latin America," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(2), pages 429-464, June.
    4. Cirera, Xavier & Muzi, Silvia, 2020. "Measuring innovation using firm-level surveys: Evidence from developing countries✰," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    5. Valeria Cirillo, 2014. "Patterns of innovation and wage distribution. Do “innovative firms” pay higher wages? Evidence from Chile," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 4(2), pages 181-206, December.
    6. Vargas, F. & Guillard, Charlotte & Salazar, Monica & Crespi, G.A., 2022. "Harmonized Latin American innovation Surveys Database (LAIS)," MERIT Working Papers 2022-020, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    7. Marco Túlio Dinali Viglioni & Mozar José Brito & Cristina Lelis Leal Calegario, 2020. "Innovation and R&D in Latin America and the Caribbean countries: a systematic literature review," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2131-2167, December.
    8. Shalom Levy & Itzhak Tabatchnik & Sagi Akron, 2019. "Product success implications of distant innovative knowledge," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(1), pages 69-88, March.
    9. Heredia Pérez, Jorge A. & Kunc, Martin H. & Durst, Susanne & Flores, Alejandro & Geldes, Cristian, 2018. "Impact of competition from unregistered firms on R&D investment by industrial sectors in emerging economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 179-189.

    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. Crespi, Gustavo & Zuniga, Pluvia, 2012. "Innovation and Productivity: Evidence from Six Latin American Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 273-290.
    2. Crespi G.A. & Tacsir E. & Vargas F., 2014. "Innovation dynamics and productivity : evidence for Latin America," MERIT Working Papers 2014-092, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    3. Gabriele Pellegrino & Mariacristina Piva & Marco Vivarelli, 2015. "How do new entrepreneurs innovate?," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(3), pages 323-341, September.
    4. García-Quevedo, José & Pellegrino, Gabriele & Vivarelli, Marco, 2014. "R&D drivers and age: Are young firms different?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1544-1556.
    5. Mohnen, Pierre, 2019. "R&D, innovation and productivity," MERIT Working Papers 2019-016, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    6. Wadho, Waqar & Chaudhry, Azam, 2022. "Innovation strategies and productivity growth in developing countries: Firm-level evidence from Pakistani manufacturers," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Fagerberg, Jan & Srholec, Martin & Verspagen, Bart, 2010. "Innovation and Economic Development," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 833-872, Elsevier.
    8. Edeh, Jude N. & Acedo, Francisco J., 2021. "External supports, innovation efforts and productivity: Estimation of a CDM model for small firms in developing countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. Caterina Santi & Pietro Santoleri, 2017. "Exploring the link between innovation and growth in Chilean firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 445-467, August.
    10. Son Thi Kim Le, 2019. "Innovation efforts in developing countries: The case of Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-7, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Tran Thi Hue, 2019. "The determinants of innovation in Vietnamese manufacturing firms: an empirical analysis using a technology–organization–environment framework," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(3), pages 247-267, September.
    12. Adel Ben Khalifa, 2023. "Impact of research and development (R&D) and information, and communication technology (ICT) on innovation and productivity evidence from Tunisian manufacturing firms," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(2), pages 341-361, April.
    13. Berulava, George & Gogokhia, Teimuraz, 2016. "Studying Complementarities between Modes of Innovation Strategies in Transition Economies," MPRA Paper 71277, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Grazzi, Matteo & Pietrobelli, Carlo & Szirmai, Adam, 2015. "The performance of firms in Latin America and the Caribbean: Microeconomic factors and the role of innovation," MERIT Working Papers 2015-041, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    15. 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.
    16. Fulvio Castellacci, 2007. "Technological regimes and sectoral differences in productivity growth ," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(6), pages 1105-1145, December.
    17. Baumann, Julian & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2016. "The link between R&D, innovation and productivity: Are micro firms different?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1263-1274.
    18. Wadho, Waqar & Chaudhry, Azam, 2020. "Innovation Strategies and Productivity Growth in Developing Countries: Evidence from Pakistan," GLO Discussion Paper Series 466, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    19. Max Nathan & Anna Rosso, 2017. "Innovative events," Development Working Papers 429, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano, revised 08 Apr 2019.
    20. Messaoud Zouikri & Mounir Amdaoud, 2018. "Compétences externes et innovation: le cas des firmes de l'industrie manufacturière algérienne," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-37, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    innovation; research and development; Latin America; enterprise surveys;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • 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
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

    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:unm:unumer:2013028. 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: Ad Notten (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/meritnl.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.