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High-tech clusters, technology spillovers, and trade secret laws

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  • Fosfuri, Andrea

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Rønde, Thomas

    (University of Mannheim)

Abstract

We analyze firms’ incentives to cluster in an industrial district to benefit from reciprocal technology spillovers. A simple model of cumulative innovation is presented where technology spillovers arise endogenously through labor mobility. It is shown that firms’ incentives to cluster are the strongest when the following three conditions are met: 1) technological progress is rapid; 2) competition in the product market is relatively soft; 3) the probability of a single firm to develop an innovation is neither very high nor very low. We show that some trade secret protection is always beneficial for firms’ profits and stimulates clustering. Excessive protection may impede technology spillovers and reduce firms’ incentives to cluster.

Suggested Citation

  • Fosfuri, Andrea & Rønde, Thomas, 2002. "High-tech clusters, technology spillovers, and trade secret laws," Working Papers 07-2002, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:cbsnow:2002_007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cumulative innovation; industrial districts; intellectual property rights; technology spillovers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • K20 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - General
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • 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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