Sectoral Productivity Growth and R&D Spillovers in the Netherlands

This paper assesses empirically whether R&D spillovers are important and whether they originate from domestic or foreign activities. Data for eleven sectors are used to explain the impact on total factor productivity of R&D by the sector itself, by other Dutch sectors and by foreign sectors. We find that both domestic and foreign R&D are significant for the Dutch economy. The elasticity of total factor productivity with respect to R&D is approximately 35% for R&D by the sector itself, 18% for R&D by other Dutch sectors and 1½% for R&D by foreign sectors. Our findings also suggest that more R&D speeds up the absorption of foreign technologies. These results are confirmed in an analysis where we look at manufacturing and services separately. We find one difference: R&D in the service sectors helps to absorb foreign technologies, whereas R&D in manufacturing does not.R&D spillovers;productivity growth

The Skill Premium, Technological Change and Appropriability

In the US the skill premium and the non-production/production wage differential increased strongly from the late 1970s onwards.Skill-biased technological change is now generally seen as the dominant explanation, which calls for theories to explain the bias.This paper shows that the increased supply of skill - which is usually seen as countervailing the rise in skill premiums - can actually cause rising skill premiums.The analysis starts from an R&D-driven endogenous growth model.Our key assumption is that skilled labour is employed in non-production activities that both generate and use knowledge inputs.If firms can sufficiently appropriate the intertemporal returns from these activities, skill premiums may rise with the supply of skilled labour.The degree of appropriability is endogenous and rises with the supply of skills.As a result, the skill premium first falls and then increases when skilled labour supply rises.Simultaneously, patents per dollar spent on R&D fall.

On Globalisation, Trade and Wages

Low skilled workers have been facing declining real wages during the 80s in the US, while high skilled workers gained in the same period.This decrease in the relative wage of the low skilled provoked a lively debate on the causes of the observed decline.A lot of academic authors have opposed to the popular view that trade with low wage countries caused the relative deterioration of low skilled workers.This paper addresses the central question, whether we can ignore the role for trade on the basis of existing literature.To answer this question, we first set forth basic trade theory.Next the theoretical basis for empirical validation is established, whereafter the empirical contributions of several authors are reviewed.Finally alternative explanations are assessed.On the basis of this survey we argue that the denial of a role for trade by a number of contributors to the debate is not convincing

The Dynamics of a General Purpose Technology in a Research and Assimilation Model

Where is the productivity growth from the IT revolution? Why did the skill premium rise sharply in the early eighties? Were these phenomena related? This paper examines these questions in a general equilibrium model of growth. Technological progress in firms is driven by research aimed at improving the production technology and by assimilation of ideas or principles present outside the firm. A new general purpose technology like the IT revolution generates an initial slowdown in economic growth and an increase in inequality.

The Dynamics of a General Purpose Technology in a Research and Assimilation Model

Where is the productivity growth from the IT revolution? Why did the skill premium rise sharply in the early eighties? Were these phenomena related? This paper examines these questions in a general equilibrium model of growth. Technological progress in firms is driven by research aimed at improving the production technology and by assimilation of ideas or principles present outside the firm. A new general purpose technology like the IT revolution generates an initial slowdown in economic growth and an increase in inequality.R&D spillovers;productivity growth;general purpose technology;wage inequality

Vested Interests and Resistance to Technology Adoption

Employed technologies differ vastly across countries. Within countries many technologies that would obviously improve firms’ efficiency are not adopted. This paper explains these observations by emphasizing that a new technology positively affects workers by lowering prices and increasing their real income, but also negatively by costs of getting acquainted with the new technology. If the costs of adoption for workers exceed the benefits, they will aim at keeping the old technology in place. We formalise the trade-off in a simple OLG model with majority voting. Age groups that lose from adopting resist. Successful resistance blocks adoption and hence lowers growth. Finally, we analyse the effects of tougher competition. Provided that consumption and leisure are relatively good substitutes, tougher competition mitigates resistance and thus favours economic growth as it increases the share of the rent associated with the new technology that is being captured by the workers.technological change;resistance;vested interests;overlapping generations;competition

De vruchten van de uitbreiding

De scepsis over een mogelijk overhaaste uitbreiding neemt toe. Welke effecten op consumptie en handel mogen worden verwacht

Sectoral Productivity Growth and R&D Spillovers in the Netherlands

This paper assesses empirically whether R&D spillovers are important and whether they originate from domestic or foreign activities. Data for eleven sectors are used to explain the impact on total factor productivity of R&D by the sector itself, by other Dutch sectors and by foreign sectors. We find that both domestic and foreign R&D are significant for the Dutch economy. The elasticity of total factor productivity with respect to R&D is approximately 35% for R&D by the sector itself, 18% for R&D by other Dutch sectors and 1½% for R&D by foreign sectors. Our findings also suggest that more R&D speeds up the absorption of foreign technologies. These results are confirmed in an analysis where we look at manufacturing and services separately. We find one difference: R&D in the service sectors helps to absorb foreign technologies, whereas R&D in manufacturing does not.