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Boosting Manufacturing Productivity Through R&D: International Comparisons with Special Focus on Italy

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  • Alessandro Sterlacchini
  • Francesco Venturini

Abstract

Using data for twelve manufacturing industries of five developed countries over the period 1980–2002, we perform a dynamic panel estimation of the long-run elasticity of TFP with respect to R&D capital. The highest elasticity is found for the US (0.39), followed by Germany (0.29–32); intermediate values are achieved by France (0.19–0.21) and Spain (0.19), while Italy records the lowest R&D impact (0.08–0.12). The latter finding, supported by an in depth analysis based on a longer time-span and more accurate data, can be ascribed to the declining R&D efforts undertaken, during the Nineties, by Italian manufacturing industries. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2013

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  • Alessandro Sterlacchini & Francesco Venturini, 2013. "Boosting Manufacturing Productivity Through R&D: International Comparisons with Special Focus on Italy," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 187-208, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:13:y:2013:i:2:p:187-208
    DOI: 10.1007/s10842-011-0114-5
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    2. Nicola Matteucci & Paolo Seri, 2012. "Crisi e declino nella manifattura italiana: note per l?agenda di ricerca e la politica industriale," PRISMA Economia - Societ? - Lavoro, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2012(3), pages 148-160.
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    5. Neil Foster-McGregor & Johannes Pöschl & Ana Rincon-Aznar & Robert Stehrer & Michaela Vecchi & Francesco Venturini, 2014. "Reducing Productivity and Efficiency Gaps: the Role of Knowledge Assets, Absorptive Capacity and Institutions," wiiw Research Reports 396, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    6. Armando Garcia Pires, 2014. "Beyond Trade Costs: Firms’ Endogenous Access to International Markets," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 229-257, June.
    7. Mario Pianta & Jelena Reljic, 2022. "The good jobs-high innovation virtuous circle," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 783-811, October.
    8. Demetris Vrontis & Giuseppe Tardivo & Stefano Bresciani & Milena Viassone, 2018. "The Competitiveness of the Italian Manufacturing Industry: an Attempt of Measurement," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(4), pages 1087-1103, December.
    9. Calcagnini, Giorgio & Marin, Giovanni & Perugini, Francesco, 2021. "Labour flexibility, internal migration and productivity in Italian regions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 308-320.
    10. Elena AMBROSETTI & Eralba CELA & Tineke FOKKEMA, 2011. "The Remittances Behaviour of the Second Generation in Europe: Altruism or Self-Interest?," Working Papers 368, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    11. Alessandro Sterlacchini & Francesco Venturini, 2014. "R&D and Productivity in High-Tech Manufacturing: A Comparison between Italy and Spain," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 359-379, July.
    12. Esposti, Roberto, 2008. "Why Should Regional Agricultural Productivity Growth Converge? Evidence from Italian Regions," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 43955, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Alessandro Sterlacchini, 2017. "The intensity of business R&D in Italy: why reducing the gap with the EU is possible and worthwhile," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(2), pages 245-257, June.
    14. Francesco VENTURINI, 2008. "Information Technology, Research & Development, or Both? What Really Drives A Nation's Productivity," Working Papers 321, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
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    17. Venturini, Francesco, 2015. "The modern drivers of productivity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 357-369.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    productivity growth; R&D capital stock; manufacturing industries; EU and US; O4; O3; L6;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L6 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

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