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R&D plans, expectations, and uncertainty: Evidence from the COVID-19 shock in Italy

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  • Brancati, Emanuele

Abstract

This paper takes advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak to explore the determinants of firms’ R&D choices around an exogenous shock. We make use of unique panel data on 7,800 Italian companies between January –right before the pandemic– and March 2020 –amid lockdown policies. We exploit the short-run revision in firms’ research plans to test the impact of deteriorating expectations and uncertainty on firms’ R&D. In addition to the significant role played by firms’ expectations, we find that preexisting innovative activities significantly shaped the reaction to the general uncertainty shock.

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  • Brancati, Emanuele, 2023. "R&D plans, expectations, and uncertainty: Evidence from the COVID-19 shock in Italy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 303-318.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:streco:v:67:y:2023:i:c:p:303-318
    DOI: 10.1016/j.strueco.2023.08.007
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    Keywords

    Firms; R&D; Expectations; Uncertainty; COVID-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations

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