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Public policies and changing boundaries of firms in a "history-friendly" model of the co-evolution of the computer and semiconductor industries

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  • Malerba, Franco
  • Nelson, Richard
  • Orsenigo, Luigi
  • Winter, Sidney

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the effects of alternative policies, ranging from antitrust to public procurement, open standards, information diffusion and basic research support on the dynamics of two vertically related industries in changing and uncertain technological and market environments. The two industries are a system industry and a component industry, and the evolution of these industries is characterized by periods of technological revolutions punctuating periods of relative technological stability and smooth technical progress. We have been inspired by the co-evolution of the computer and component industries from their inceptions to the 1980s. On the basis of that evolution, we have developed a history friendly-model this co-evolution. In sum, this paper has stressed that various types of policies may sometimes have contrasting effects on the industry, mainly on concentration and technical change and innovation. It has also shown that the consequences of policies may spillover from one industry to another, and from one type of firms to another. Policies that aim at a specific industry may provoke major changes in a related industry through the product market, the changing boundaries of firms or knowledge and technological interdependencies. The policy maker has to be aware of that. Finally, a major point of the paper regards the unintended consequences of policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Malerba, Franco & Nelson, Richard & Orsenigo, Luigi & Winter, Sidney, 2008. "Public policies and changing boundaries of firms in a "history-friendly" model of the co-evolution of the computer and semiconductor industries," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 355-380, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:67:y:2008:i:2:p:355-380
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    2. Garavaglia, Christian, 2010. "Modelling industrial dynamics with "History-friendly" simulations," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 258-275, November.
    3. Marletto, Gerardo, 2012. "Which conceptual foundations for environmental policies? An institutional and evolutionary framework of economic change," MPRA Paper 36441, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Ammon J. Salter & Maureen McKelvey, 2016. "Evolutionary analysis of innovation and entrepreneurship: Sidney G. Winter—recipient of the 2015 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Rajah Rasiah & Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi, 2013. "Institutional Support and Technological Upgrading: Evidence from Dynamic Clusters in Latin America and Asia," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2013(2), pages 1-24, February.
    6. G. Fagiolo & A. Roventini, 2009. "On the Scientific Status of Economic Policy: A Tale of Alternative Paradigms," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 6.
    7. Dodgson, Mark & Hughes, Alan & Foster, John & Metcalfe, Stan, 2011. "Systems thinking, market failure, and the development of innovation policy: The case of Australia," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(9), pages 1145-1156.
    8. Andrea Conte & Marco Vivarelli, 2014. "Succeeding in innovation: key insights on the role of R&D and technological acquisition drawn from company data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1317-1340, December.
    9. Safarzyńska, Karolina & Frenken, Koen & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2012. "Evolutionary theorizing and modeling of sustainability transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1011-1024.
    10. d’Andria, D. & Savin, I., 2018. "A Win-Win-Win? Motivating innovation in a knowledge economy with tax incentives," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 38-56.
    11. Peter Adjei‐Bamfo & Hadrian Geri Djajadikerta & Ferry Jie & Kerry Brown & Reza Kiani Mavi, 2023. "Public procurement for innovation through supplier firms' sustainability lens: A systematic review and research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 387-407, January.
    12. Iossa, Elisabetta & De Chiara, Alessandro, 2019. "Public Procurement as a Demand-side Policy: Project Competition and Innovation Incentives," CEPR Discussion Papers 13664, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Pierre Barbaroux, 2016. "The Metamorphosis Of The World Space Economy: Investigating Global Trends And National Differences Among Major Space Nations' Market Structure," Post-Print hal-03223685, HAL.
    14. Gianluca Capone & Franco Malerba & Richard R. Nelson & Luigi Orsenigo & Sidney G. Winter, 2019. "History friendly models: retrospective and future perspectives," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, March.
    15. Isabel Almudi & Francisco Fatas-Villafranca & Luis R. Izquierdo & Jason Potts, 2017. "The economics of utopia: a co-evolutionary model of ideas, citizenship and socio-political change," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 629-662, September.
    16. Herbert Dawid & Philipp Harting & Sander van der Hoog, 2019. "Manager remuneration, share buybacks, and firm performance," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(3), pages 681-706.
    17. Safarzyńska, Karolina, 2013. "Evolutionary-economic policies for sustainable consumption," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 187-195.
    18. Herrmann, Johannes & Savin, Ivan, 2015. "Evolution of the electricity market in Germany: Identifying policy implications by an agent-based model," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112959, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    19. Rajah Rasiah & Nik Rosnah Wan Abdullah & Makmor Tumin, 2011. "Markets and Healthcare Services in Malaysia: Critical Issues," Institutions and Economies (formerly known as International Journal of Institutions and Economies), Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, vol. 3(3), pages 467-486, October.
    20. Smita Srinivas, 2023. "When is industry ‘sustainable’? The economics of institutional variety in a pandemic," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 75-107, April.
    21. Sengupta, Abhijit & Sena, Vania, 2020. "Impact of open innovation on industries and firms – A dynamic complex systems view," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

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