Learning through experience in Research & Development: an empirical analysis with Spanish firms

Pilar Beneito, María E. Rochina-Barrachina and Amparo Sanchis-Llopis
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María E. Rochina-Barrachina: University of Valencia and ERI-CES
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Maria Engracia Rochina Barrachina

No 1302, Working Papers from Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia

Abstract: In this paper we analyse the role of learning through experience in Research and Development (R&D) activities in strengthening firms’ capabilities to achieve innovation outcomes. Using a production function approach, we estimate a count-data model using a panel dataset of Spanish manufacturing firms for the period 1990-2006. We find that the number of years of engagement in R&D activities is positively associated with the achievement of product innovations. Our results highlight that experience in R&D is an additional technological asset to be considered for a good management practice. In particular our findings indicate that the relationship between firms’ R&D experience and product innovations is non-linear, that is, that experience has a positive effect on the probability to achieve product innovations, but at a decreasing rate. In addition, our results suggest that, although large firms are more efficient than SMEs in converting R&D investment into product innovations, SMEs obtain more efficiency gains from R&D experience than large firms.

Keywords: R&D experience; learning; product innovation; count data; SMEs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2013-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-eff, nep-eur, nep-ino, nep-knm and nep-sbm
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http://repecsrv.uv.es/paper/RePEc/pdf/eec_1302.pdf First version, 2013 (application/pdf)

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Journal Article: Learning through experience in Research & Development: An empirical analysis with Spanish firms (2014)
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