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Modelling the joint impact of R and D and ICT on productivity: A frontier analysis approach

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  • Fabio Pieri
  • Michela Vecchi
  • Francesco Venturini

Abstract

This study explores the channels through which technological investments affect productivity performance of industrialized economies. Using a Stochastic Frontier Model (SFM) we estimate the productivity effects of R\D and ICT for a large sample of OECD industries between 1973 and 2007, identifying four channels of transmission: input accumulation, technological change, technical efficiency and spillovers. Our results show that ICT has been particularly effective in reducing production inefficiency and in generating inter-industry spillovers, while R\D has raised the rate of technical change and favoured knowledge spillovers within sectors. We also quantify the contribution of technological investments to output and TFP growth documenting that R\D and ICT accounted for almost 95% of TFP growth in the OECD area.

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  • Fabio Pieri & Michela Vecchi & Francesco Venturini, 2017. "Modelling the joint impact of R and D and ICT on productivity: A frontier analysis approach," DEM Working Papers 2017/13, Department of Economics and Management.
    • Handle: RePEc:trn:utwprg:2017/13
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre Mohnen & Michael Polder & George van Leeuwen, 2019. "Information and Communications Technology, R&D, and Organizational Innovation: Exploring Complementarities in Investment and Production," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring and Accounting for Innovation in the Twenty-First Century, pages 299-322, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Khanna, Rupika & Sharma, Chandan, 2018. "Testing the effect of investments in IT and R&D on labour productivity: New method and evidence for Indian firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 30-34.
    3. Franz Haider & Robert Kunst & Franz Wirl, 2021. "Total factor productivity, its components and drivers," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 283-327, May.
    4. Pierre Mohnen & Michael Polder & George van Leeuwen, 2018. "ICT, R&D and Organizational Innovation: Exploring Complementarities in Investment and Production," NBER Working Papers 25044, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Guangming Rao & Bin Su & Jinlian Li & Yong Wang & Yanhua Zhou & Zhaolin Wang, 2019. "Carbon Sequestration Total Factor Productivity Growth and Decomposition: A Case of the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-28, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Research and Development; Information and Communication Technology; Productivity; Stochastic frontier models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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