What determines technological hits? Geography vs. firm competencies

Myriam Mariani

No 3, Research Memorandum from Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT)

Abstract: This paper uses a novel database composed of 4,262 European chemical patents applied for by 693 firms during 1987-1996 to compare the relative effect of firm and regional characteristics on the production of technological hits (highly cited patents). By using an extensive set of controls, the main finding of the paper is that in the “traditional” chemical sectors technological hits are explained only by firm-level economies of scale and scope in R&D. Firm competencies – i.e. technological specialisation – are still important in biotechnology. However, what really distinguishes the biotech model is that localised knowledge spillovers also matter. I argue that the centrality of firms vis-à-vis regions underlines a more general contrast between two different models of producing innovations.

Keywords: research and development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unm:umamer:2004003

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