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Small business innovation: firm level evidence from Sweden

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  • Martin Andersson
  • Hans Lööf

Abstract

This paper examines innovation among very small firms and provides new insights into both internal and external determinants of patenting. Applying a non-linear panel data approach to about 160,000 observations on manufacturing firms in Sweden for the period 2000–2006, the following facts emerge: (i) in contrast to larger firms, innovation in micro firms with 1–10 employees is not sensitive to variation in internal financial resources, (ii) skilled labour is even more important for innovation among micro firms compared to other firms, (iii) affiliation to a domestically owned multinational enterprise group increases the innovation capacity of small businesses, (iv) small firms’ innovation is closely linked to participation in international trade and exports to the G7-countries, and (v) there is no statistically significant evidence that proximity to metropolitan areas, or presence in a specialized cluster, increases the innovativeness of the smallest firm. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Andersson & Hans Lööf, 2012. "Small business innovation: firm level evidence from Sweden," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(5), pages 732-754, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:37:y:2012:i:5:p:732-754
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-011-9216-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Christoph P. Kiefer & Pablo Del Río González & Javier Carrillo‐Hermosilla, 2019. "Drivers and barriers of eco‐innovation types for sustainable transitions: A quantitative perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 155-172, January.
    2. Ejdemo, Thomas & Örtqvist, Daniel, 2020. "Related variety as a driver of regional innovation and entrepreneurship: A moderated and mediated model with non-linear effects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(7).
    3. Tavassoli, Sam, 2015. "Innovation determinants over industry life cycle," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 18-32.
    4. Xiao, Jing, 2018. "Post-acquisition dynamics of technology start-ups: drawing the temporal boundaries of post-acquisition restructuring process," Papers in Innovation Studies 2018/12, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    5. Jing Xiao, 2015. "The effects of acquisition on the growth of new technology-based firms: Do different types of acquirers matter?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 487-504, October.
    6. Obschonka, Martin & Tavassoli, Sam & Rentfrow, P. Jason & Potter, Jeff & Gosling, Samuel D., 2023. "Innovation and inter-city knowledge spillovers: Social, geographical, and technological connectedness and psychological openness," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    7. Baumann, Julian & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2016. "The link between R&D, innovation and productivity: Are micro firms different?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1263-1274.
    8. Sam Tavassoli & Nunzia Carbonara, 2014. "The role of knowledge variety and intensity for regional innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 493-509, August.
    9. Mounir Amdaoud & Christian Le Bas, 2020. "Firm Patenting and Types of innovation in Least Developed Countries. An Empirical Investigation on Patenting Determinants," CEPN Working Papers hal-03059466, HAL.
    10. Carbonara , Nunzia & Tavassoli, Sam, 2013. "The Role of Knowledge Heterogeneity on the Innovative Capability of Industrial Districts," Papers in Innovation Studies 2013/35, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    11. Andersson, Martin & Xiao, Jing, 2014. "Acquisitions of Start-ups by Incumbent Businesses A market selection process of “high-quality” entrants?," Papers in Innovation Studies 2014/19, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    12. Leogrande, Angelo, 2024. "The Propensity for Patenting in the Italian Regions," SocArXiv p4exf, Center for Open Science.
    13. Annekatrin Niebuhr & Jan Cornelius Peters & Alex Schmidke, 2020. "Spatial sorting of innovative firms and heterogeneous effects of agglomeration on innovation in Germany," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1343-1375, October.
    14. Idris, Bochra & Saridakis, George & Khan, Zaheer, 2022. "The Effect of Outward and Inward Internationalisation on Different Types of Innovation: Evidence from UK SMEs," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).
    15. Mengyang Pan & Aravind Chandrasekaran & James Hill & Manus Rungtusanatham, 2022. "Multidisciplinary R&D project success in small firms: The role of multiproject status and project management experience," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(7), pages 2806-2821, July.
    16. Xiuli Sun, 2022. "Human Capital, Market Environment, and Firm Innovation in Chinese Manufacturing Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-20, October.
    17. Stephan Hess & Roland Siegwart, 2013. "R&D Venture: proposition of a technology transfer concept for breakthrough technologies with R&D cooperation: A case study in the energy sector," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 153-179, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Innovative firms; Entrepreneurship; Small firms; Intellectual property rights; Technology transfer; Location; F43; L26; M13; O31; O34;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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