The role of learning in innovation: in-house versus externally contracted R&D experience

En este trabajo se analiza el papel del aprendizaje en el éxito innovador de las empresas, tomando en consideración la naturaleza heterogénea de las actividades innovadoras, y en particular, distinguiendo entre el aprendizaje que proviene de la realización interna de actividades de I+D y el aprendizaje que proviene de la contratación externa de estas actividades. Para este trabajo se utiliza una muestra representativa de empresas manufactureras en España durante el período 1990-2006, y dentro del marco de una función de producción de innovaciones, se estiman modelos ¿count¿ con el fin de investigar la influencia que tiene en la obtención de resultados innovadores la experiencia que proviene de la I+D realizada dentro de la empresa y de la contratada externamente. Nuestros resultados muestran que el aprendizaje tiene un papel importante en la obtención de innovaciones de producto cuando las empresas organizan sus actividades de I+D internamente, y que la experiencia que proviene de la contratación externa de actividades de I+D no influye sobre el número de innovaciones de producto. This paper analyses the role of learning in firms¿ innovation success, taking into account the heterogeneous nature of innovation activities, and in particular, distinguishing between learning arising from the internal organization of R&D activities and learning from externally contracting these activities. We use a representative sample of Spanish manufacturing firms for the period 1990-2006, and within an innovation production function approach, we estimate count data models to investigate the influence of firms¿ in-house and externally contracted R&D experience in the achievement of innovative results. Our results show that learning is important in the achievement of product innovations when the firms organize R&D activities internally, and that experience from externally contracted R&D activities does not influence the number of product innovations.innovation, accumulation of knowledge, in-house R&D experience, externally contracted R&D experience, count data models. innovación, acumulación de conocimiento, experiencia en I+D interna, experiencia en I+D contratada externamente, modelos para datos ¿count¿.

Do process innovations boost SMEs productivity growth?

In this paper we explore in depth the effect of process innovations on total factor productivity growth for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), taking into account the potential endogeneity problem that may be caused by self selection into these activities. First, we analyse whether the ex-ante most productive SMEs are those that start introducing process innovations; then, we test whether process innovations boost SMEs productivity growth using matching techniques to control for the possibility that selection into introducing process innovations may not be a random process. We use a sample of Spanish manufacturing SMEs for the period 1991-2002, drawn from the Encuesta sobre Estrategias Empresariales. Our results show that the introduction of process innovations by a first-time process innovator yields an extra productivity growth as compared to a non-process innovator, and that the life span of this extra productivity growth has an inverted U-shaped form. En este artículo se exploran los posibles efectos de la introducción de innovaciones de proceso en el crecimiento de la productividad de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES). Para ello se presta especial atención a la existencia de un problema de selección no aleatorio en la implementación de tales innovaciones. En primer lugar, se analiza si son aquellas empresas ex-ante más productivas las que introducen innovaciones de proceso. A continuación, se utilizan técnicas de matching para contrastar si la implementación de innovaciones de proceso acelera el crecimiento de la productividad de las PYMES. La utilización de técnicas de matching permite controlar la posible existencia de un proceso de selección no aleatorio en la implementación de innovaciones de proceso. El análisis empírico se lleva cabo usando una muestra de PYMES manufactureras españolas extraída de la Encuesta sobre Estrategias Empresariales. Nuestros resultados muestran que la implementación de innovaciones de proceso por parte de PYMES sin experiencia previa en la introducción de tales innovaciones, produce un crecimiento extra de la productividad de estas PYMES en comparación con el de aquellas PYMES que no implementan innovaciones de proceso. Adicionalmente, nuestros resultados sugieren la existencia de una relación en forma de U invertida entre el crecimiento extra de la productividad y el tiempo transcurrido desde la introducción de la innovación de proceso.innovaciones de proceso, PTF, dominancia estocástica, técnicas de matching. process innovations, TFP, stochastic dominance, matching techniques.

Firms’ distance to the European productivity frontier

In this article we explore the factors contributing to reduce the distance of laggard frms to the European frontier, focusing on institutional factors. To characterize Total Factor Productivity frontier frms within industries for the European Union we use frm level data from AMADEUS for the period 2003–2014. Our fndings provide evidence on the importance of governance quality and easiness in getting credit in explaining the distance of laggard frms to the European productivity frontier. We also fnd that other factors at the country level -tertiary education, R&D stock, and trade openness- and at the frm level -size, age, and capital-intensity- infuence the distance of laggards to the frontier. In addition, we examine the role of the Great Recession in moderating the contribution of all these factors to reduce firms’ distance to the European productivity frontier

R&D-experience and innovation success

En este trabajo se analiza el papel de la experiencia en actividades de I+D sobre el éxito innovador de las empresas utilizando una muestra representativa de empresas españolas para el periodo 1990-2002. Mediante modelos de recuento (count-data models) y partiendo de la especificación de una función de producción de innovaciones, investigamos la influencia de la experiencia en I+D en la obtención de resultados innovadores. Para estimar la experiencia en I+D, que es parcialmente inobservable, estimamos un modelo de duración y utilizamos los resultados obtenidos en este modelo y un procedimiento no paramétrico para imputar la experiencia en I+D a aquellas empresas para las que no se observa. Nuestros resultados muestran que la efectividad de la inversión en I+D aumenta con el historial innovador de la empresa

ON THE ROLE OF PROCESS INNOVATIONS ON SMES PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH?

In this paper we explore in depth the effect of process innovations on total factor productivity growth for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), taking into account the potential endogeneity problem that may be caused by self selection into these activities. First, we analyse whether the ex-ante most productive SMEs are those that start introducing process innovations; then, we test whether process innovations boost SMEs productivity growth using matching techniques to control for the possibility that selection into introducing process innovations may not be a random process. We use a sample of Spanish manufacturing SMEs for the period 1991-2002, drawn from the Encuesta sobre Estrategias Empresariales. Our results show that the introduction of process innovations yields an extra productivity growth, and that the life span of this extra productivity growth lasts for only one period.Process innovations, TFP, stochastic dominance, matching techniques

THE ROLE OF SUNK COSTS IN THE DECISION TO INVEST IN R&D -super-*

We present a dynamic empirical model of a firm's R&D decisions that is consistent with the existence of sunk R&D costs, taking into account that these costs may differ between small and large firms, and among different technological regimes. We estimate a multivariate dynamic discrete choice model using firm-level data of Spanish manufacturing for 1990-2000. Conditional on firm heterogeneity and serially correlated unobservable factors, we find that R&D history matters. This true state dependence allows inferring the existence of sunk R&D costs associated with performing R&D. Sunk R&D costs are found to be higher for large, high-tech firms. Copyright 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. and the Editorial Board of The Journal of Industrial Economics.

The Decision to Invest in R&D: A Panel Data Analysis for Spanish Manufacturing

Abstract This paper examines the factors determining firms' probability of investing in R&D activities using a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms drawn from the Encuesta sobre Estrategias Empresariales, for the period 1990-2000. We estimate a panel data discrete choice model that allows controlling for unobserved firm heterogeneity, using maximum-likelihood techniques. Our results show that export intensity, a significant market share, highly qualified workforce, firm size, labor productivity, advertising intensity, and regional and local technological spillovers have a positive and significant influence on the probability of investing in R&D. In addition, this probability decreases with firm age and foreign participation in the capital of the firm

Stability of Biomimetically Functionalised Alginate Microspheres as 3D Support in Cell Cultures

Alginate hydrogels can be used to develop a three-dimensional environment in which various cell types can be grown. Cross-linking the alginate chains using reversible ionic bonds opens up great possibilities for the encapsulation and subsequent release of cells or drugs. However, alginate also has a drawback in that its structure is not very stable in a culture medium with cellular activity. This work explored the stability of alginate microspheres functionalised by grafting specific biomolecules onto their surface to form microgels in which biomimetic microspheres surrounded the cells in the culture, reproducing the natural microenvironment. A study was made of the stability of the microgel in different typical culture media and the formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers containing polylysine and heparin. Multiple myeloma cell proliferation in the culture was tested in a bioreactor under gentle agitation

Stability of Biomimetically Functionalised Alginate Microspheres as 3D Support in Cell Cultures

Alginate hydrogels can be used to develop a three-dimensional environment in which various cell types can be grown. Cross-linking the alginate chains using reversible ionic bonds opens up great possibilities for the encapsulation and subsequent release of cells or drugs. However, al-ginate also has a drawback in that its structure is not very stable in a culture medium with cellu-lar activity. This work explored the stability of alginate microspheres functionalised by grafting specific biomolecules onto their surface to form microgels in which biomimetic microspheres surrounded the cells in the culture, reproducing the natural microenvironment. A study was made of the stability of the microgel in different typical culture media and the formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers containing polylysine and heparin. Multiple myeloma cell prolifer-ation in the culture was tested in a bioreactor under gentle agitation.The Microscopy Service of the UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València) is gratefully acknowl-edged for helping with cryoFESEM characterisation. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008–2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. The Instituto de Salud Carlos III financed CIBER Actions with assistance from the European Regional Develop-ment Fund.García Briega, MI.; Ródenas Rochina, J.; Ribeiro Martins, LA.; Gallego Ferrer, G.; Lanceros-Mendez, S.; Sempere Talens, A.; Gómez Ribelles, JL. (2022). Stability of Biomimetically Functionalised Alginate Microspheres as 3D Support in Cell Cultures. MDPI. https://doi.org/10.4995/Dataset/10251/18745