R&D Subsidization effect and network centralization. Evidence from an agent-based micro-policy simulation

This paper presents an agent-based micro-policy simulation model assessing public R&D policy effect when R&D and non-R&D performing companies are located within a network. We set out by illustrating the behavioural structure and the computational logic of the proposed model; then, we provide a simulation experiment where the pattern of the total level of R&D activated by a fixed amount of public support is analysed as function of companies’ network topology. More specifically, the suggested simulation experiment shows that a larger “hubness” of the network is more likely accompanied with a decreasing median of the aggregated total R&D performance of the system. Since the aggregated firm idiosyncratic R&D (i.e., the part of total R&D independent of spillovers) is slightly increasing, we conclude that positive cross-firm spillover effects - in the presence of a given amount of support - have a sizeable impact within less centralized networks, where fewer hubs emerge. This may question the common wisdom suggesting that larger R&D externality effects should be more likely to arise when few central champions receive a support

How companies respond to growing research costs: cost control or value creation?

Over the last two decades, R&D costs have been increasing significantly across almost all industries. While there is much literature studying different strategies to exploit R&D investments, we know little about the relative importance of controlling costs. Based on case studies of European and US multinational, R&D intensive companies, we study how firms deal with growing R&D costs. We investigate different strategies companies can employ to respond to growing research costs. Such strategies can be oriented towards controlling cost or focused on opportunities to create value. The case studies reveal that company spending on R&D is not perceived as a cost per se, but rather as an investment. Cost considerations are secondary factors and the main drivers of research investments are based on the expected value of innovations, risk and strategic competence development, and anticipating uncertainty concerning the kind of research that might be needed in the future

Blue second harmonic generation from aluminum nitride films deposited onto silicon by sputtering technique

We studied the second order optical nonlinearity of aluminum nitride films grown by sputtering onto silicon substrates. The crystalline properties of the films were investigated by x-ray diffraction measurements. Preliminary linear optical characterization of the films was carried out by spectrophotometric optical reflectance measurements at different incidence angles; thus the dispersion laws for both ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices were retrieved. Finally, second harmonic generation measurements in reflection mode were performed at a fixed angle from a fundamental beam provided by a picosecond Ti:sapphire laser system at =800 nm. In the experiments a high blue light conversion efficiency was found for samples 1.5 and 2 m thick, and the second order nonlinear coefficient d33=11±1 pm/V was found

Il sistema scientifico italiano all'inizio del 2001: problemi aperti

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7 , Rome / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal