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The role of human capital in lowering barriers to engage in innovation: evidence from the Spanish innovation survey

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  • D'Este,Pablo
  • Rentocchini,Francesco
  • Vega Jurado,Jaider M.

Abstract

This paper focuses on the role of human capital in attenuating the barriers that block firms from engaging in innovation activities. The paper distinguishes between firms facing deterring barriers to innovation (firms deterred from engaging in innovation activities) and firms confronting revealed barriers (firms that experience barriers alongside their engagement in innovation activities). We investigate whether human capital has a particularly strong impact in lowering barriers among the former group of firms, since a strong skill base is likely to compensate for the lack of previous experience in innovation-related activities or the necessary complementary assets associated to innovation. We draw on four waves of the Spanish Innovation Survey and examine the impact of human capital on three types of obstacles to innovation: cost, knowledge and market obstacles. Results reveal that human capital has a significant impact in attenuating deterring barriers to innovation associated to knowledge shortages and market uncertainties.

Suggested Citation

  • D'Este,Pablo & Rentocchini,Francesco & Vega Jurado,Jaider M., 2012. "The role of human capital in lowering barriers to engage in innovation: evidence from the Spanish innovation survey," INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) Working Paper Series 201206, INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), revised 03 Aug 2012.
    • Handle: RePEc:ing:wpaper:201206
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pablo D’Este & Alberto Marzucchi & Francesco Rentocchini, 2014. "Exploring and yet failing less: Learning from exploration, exploitation and human capital in R&D," SPRU Working Paper Series 2014-23, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    3. Gabriele Pellegrino, 2015. "Barriers to innovation: can firm age help lower them?," Working Papers 2015/3, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    4. Bonanno, Graziella, 2014. "ICT and R&D as inputs or efficiency determinants? Analysing the manufacturing Italian firms over the 2007-2009," MPRA Paper 57640, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Sergio Afcha & Jose García-Quevedo, 2016. "The impact of R&D subsidies on R&D employment composition," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(6), pages 955-975.
    6. Nuno Campos Pereira & Nuno Araújo & Leonardo Costa, 2016. "A counting multidimensional innovation index for SMEs," Working Papers de Economia (Economics Working Papers) 01, Católica Porto Business School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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