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Impact of external knowledge acquisition strategies on innovation

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Abstract

There is growing evidence that firms increasingly adopt open innovation practices. In this paper we investigate the impact of two such external knowledge acquisition strategies, 'buy' and 'cooperate', on firm's product innovation performance. Taking a direct (productivity)approach, we test for complementarity effects in the simultaneous use of the two strategies, and in the intensity of their use. Our results based on large panels of Dutch and Swiss innovating firms, suggest that while both 'buy' and 'cooperate' have a positive effect on innovation, there is little statistical evidence that using them simultaneously leads to higher innovation performance. Results from the Dutch sample provide some indication, that there are positive economies of scope in doing external and cooperative R&D simultaneously conditional on doing internal R&D.

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  • Spyros Arvanitis & Boris Lokshin & Pierre Mohnen & Martin Woerter, 2013. "Impact of external knowledge acquisition strategies on innovation," KOF Working papers 13-325, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:kof:wpskof:13-325
    DOI: 10.3929/ethz-a-007598843
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    Cited by:

    1. Samia Nour, 2014. "The Importance (Impacts) of Knowledge at the Macro–Micro Levels in the Arab Gulf Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 5(3), pages 521-537, September.
    2. Berulava, George & Gogokhia, Teimuraz, 2016. "Studying Complementarities between Modes of Innovation Strategies in Transition Economies," MPRA Paper 71277, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Erika Raquel Badillo & Rosina Moreno, 2018. "Does absorptive capacity determine collaboration returns to innovation? A geographical dimension," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 60(3), pages 473-499, May.
    4. Erika Raquel Badillo & Rosina Moreno, 2014. "“Does absorptive capacity determine collaborative research returns to innovation? A geographical dimension”," IREA Working Papers 201428, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Nov 2014.
    5. Erika & Rosina, 2016. "“Technological cooperation in Spanish firms”," IREA Working Papers 201601, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Jan 2016.
    6. Karbowski, Adam, 2016. "Współpraca badawczo-rozwojowa przedsiębiorstw: przegląd prac empirycznych [R&D Cooperation of Firms: Empirical literature review]," MPRA Paper 77698, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Nour, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed, 2013. "The importance and impacts of knowledge at the macro-micro levels in the Arab Gulf countries," MERIT Working Papers 2013-016, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    8. Spyros Arvanitis & Florian Seliger, 2014. "Imitation versus innovation," KOF Working papers 14-367, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Open innovation; R&D collaboration; Make; Buy strategies;
    All these keywords.

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