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Foreign Investment and Domestic Productivity: Identifying Knowledge Spillovers and Competition Effects

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  • Christian Fons-Rosen
  • Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan
  • Bent E. Sorensen
  • Carolina Villegas-Sanchez
  • Vadym Volosovych

Abstract

We study the impact of FDI on the productivity of host-country firms. FDI has positive spillovers only when foreign and domestic firms use similar technologies. Channeling FDI to sectors where firms share similar technology would significantly increase productivity spillovers from FDI. We show that inventor mobility across sectors is a key channel of technology transfer. To deal with endogeneity concerns we control for sectoral productivity growth, construct a Bartik-style instrument based on the productivity growth of neighboring countries, and exploit differences in knowledge flows across sectors captured by an asymmetric patent citation matrix.

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  • Christian Fons-Rosen & Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan & Bent E. Sorensen & Carolina Villegas-Sanchez & Vadym Volosovych, 2017. "Foreign Investment and Domestic Productivity: Identifying Knowledge Spillovers and Competition Effects," NBER Working Papers 23643, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23643
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    Cited by:

    1. Henning Mühlen & Octavio Escobar, 2020. "The role of FDI in structural change: Evidence from Mexico," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 557-585, March.
    2. Lishi Liu & Shuang Meng & Jiajie Yu, 2022. "Innovation from Spatial Spillovers of FDI and the Threshold Effect of Urbanization: Evidence from Chinese Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Hou, Zhezhi & Jin, Man & Kumbhakar, Subal C., 2020. "Productivity spillovers and human capital: A semiparametric varying coefficient approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(1), pages 317-330.
    4. Li, Xiang & Su, Dan, 2022. "Total factor productivity growth at the firm-level: The effects of capital account liberalization," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    5. Genthner, Robert & Kis-Katos, Krisztina, 2022. "Foreign investment regulation and firm productivity: Granular evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 668-687.
    6. Akcigit, Ufuk & Ates, Sina T. & Lerner, Josh & Townsend, Richard R. & Zhestkova, Yulia, 2024. "Fencing off Silicon Valley: Cross-border venture capital and technology spillovers," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 14-39.
    7. Bournakis, Ioannis, 2021. "Spillovers and productivity: Revisiting the puzzle with EU firm level data," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    8. Yilmaz Bayar & Marius Dan Gavriletea & Zeki Ucar, 2018. "Financial Sector Development, Openness, and Entrepreneurship: Panel Regression Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-11, September.
    9. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Do Aid for Trade Flows Affect Technology Licensing in Recipient Countries?," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-31, December.
    10. Köllö, János & Boza, István & Balázsi, László, 2021. "Wage gains from foreign ownership: evidence from linked employer-employee data," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 55, pages 1-3.
    11. Bernard Hoekman & Marco Sanfilippo & Margherita Tambussi, 2023. "Foreign Direct Investment and Structural Transformation in Africa," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/02, European University Institute.
    12. Bournakis, Ioannis & Papanastassiou, Marina & Papaioannou, Sotiris, 2020. "Multinationals and Domestic TFP: Market Shares, Agglomerations Gains and Foreign Ownership," MPRA Paper 106626, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Novikova, Tatyana S., 2022. "Investments in research infrastructure on the project level: Problems, methods and mechanisms," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    14. Yoonseok Lee & Mary E. Lovely & Hoang Pham, 2023. "Dynamic and non‐neutral productivity effects of foreign ownership: A nonparametric approach," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(1), pages 24-48, January.
    15. Abebe, Girum & McMillan, Margaret & Serafinelli, Michel, 2022. "Foreign direct investment and knowledge diffusion in poor locations," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    16. Francesca de Nicola & Balázs Muraközy & Shawn W. Tan, 2021. "Spillovers from high growth firms: evidence from Hungary," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 127-150, June.
    17. Shunan Zhao & Man Jin & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2021. "Estimation of firm productivity in the presence of spillovers and common shocks," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(6), pages 3135-3170, June.
    18. Dyaran Bansraj & Han Smit & Vadym Volosovych, 2020. "Can Private Equity Funds Act as Strategic Buyers? Evidence from Buy-and-Build Strategies," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-041/IV, Tinbergen Institute.
    19. Man Jin & Huiting Tian & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2020. "How to survive and compete: the impact of information asymmetry on productivity," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 107-123, February.
    20. Crescenzi, Riccardo & Limodio, Nicola, 2021. "The impact of Chinese FDI in Africa: evidence from Ethiopia," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108455, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    21. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2023. "Do Aid for Trade flows affect Technology Licensing in Recipient Countries?," EconStor Preprints 273419, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    22. ArÅ«nas Burinskas & ArÅ«nas Burinskas & Rasmus Bøgh Holmen & Manuela TvaronaviÄ ienÄ— & AgnÄ— Å imelytÄ— & Kristina RazminienÄ—, 2021. "FDI, technology & knowledge transfer from Nordic to Baltic countries," Insights into Regional Development, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 3(3), pages 31-55, September.
    23. Bloechliger, H. & Wildnerova, L., 2020. "Productivity of the Russian firms: Seven stylized facts," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 48(4), pages 217-227.
    24. Arūnas Burinskas & Rasmus Bøgh Holmen & Manuela Tvaronavičienė & Agnė Šimelytė & Kristina Razminienė, 2021. "FDI, technology & knowledge transfer from Nordic to Baltic countries," Post-Print hal-03583969, HAL.

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    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

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