Why growth rates differ? Path of innovation in Italian provinces

This paper analyses the way in which innovation and absorptive capacity affect the productivity of Italian provinces. It builds on the Neo-Schumpeterian literature which investigates how technology gaps explain development disparities between countries and regions. The study is carried out at the provincial level, which allows a more fine-tuned analysis of the resource endowment linked to knowledge generation and economic performance. Moreover, it distinguishes between two very different types of innovation: those directly dependent on R&D and new knowledge generation which are generally measured by the number of patents; and those relying on the adaptation of processes, products and materials and thus mostly based on the exploitation of already existing knowledge, which are here measured by a new index based on registered utility models and industrial designs. Main results indicate a case of divergence in productivity levels instead of one of catching up among the Italian provinces; moreover, they suggest that the main effort to get productivity gains in this country has been carried out through a reduction of employment and of its related costs instead of via increasing R&D and human capital

Gender diversity in European firms and the R&D-innovation-productivity nexus

In this paper, we empirically explore whether gender diversity in European firms, measured at different organisational levels, contributes to enhancing their performance in terms of innovation and productivity. Particularly we propose a structural econometric framework that allows us to simultaneously account for gender diversity at the workforce and ownership level throughout different phases of the innovation process, from the decision to engage in R&D to productivity. Our results reveal that gender diversity is strongly related to firms’ performance, besides the traditional factors envisaged by the literature. However, some differences emerge according to the firms’ organisational levels. Indeed, workforce gender diversity seems to be relevant to all phases of the innovation process. By contrast, the positive influence of ownership gender diversity seems more narrowed as limited to the innovation development/implementation phase; moreover, increasing women’s participation beyond a certain threshold is negatively associated with firms’ productivity

Innovation induced by public procurement: A firm-level analysis for Italy and Norway

In this paper, we focus on public procurement for innovation. We provide a broad characterization of the firms involved in “innovative public procurement” as opposed to firms participating in “regular” (i.e. non innovative) public procurement, including those firms that perform innovation in an autonomous way (i.e. not related to public procurement). Moreover, we identify the main determinants of the firms’ propensity to innovate, when innovative activities are related to a public procurement contract. We carry out this study by using micro-data from two Community Innovation Surveys for Italian and Norwegian firms, which have released information on firms having public procurement contracts. Our main findings highlight important differences between firms engaged in regular or innovative public procurement, in particular regarding the role of firm size and sectors, the presence of in-house R&D activities and the educational level of employees

Innovation induced by public procurement: A firm-level analysis for Italy and Norway

In this paper, we focus on public procurement for innovation. We provide a broad characterization of the firms involved in “innovative public procurement” as opposed to firms participating in “regular” (i.e. non innovative) public procurement, including those firms that perform innovation in an autonomous way (i.e. not related to public procurement). Moreover, we identify the main determinants of the firms’ propensity to innovate, when innovative activities are related to a public procurement contract. We carry out this study by using micro-data from two Community Innovation Surveys for Italian and Norwegian firms, which have released information on firms having public procurement contracts. Our main findings highlight important differences between firms engaged in regular or innovative public procurement, in particular regarding the role of firm size and sectors, the presence of in-house R&D activities and the educational level of employees

Cooperation linkages and technological capabilities development across firms

<p>Cooperation linkages and technological capabilities development across firms. <i>Regional Studies</i>. This study provides new insights into the role of cooperation in the process of technological capabilities development at the firm level. These are considered in relation to the way innovation is performed, whether by generation or adoption. In addressing this issue, the regional location of firms is taken into account, investigating evidence for spatially mediated knowledge transfer based on cooperation. Results confirm that differences across firms regarding technological capabilities and the role of cooperation cannot be fully appreciated when innovative firms are considered on the same footing, regardless of whether they have been able to develop the new technologies introduced.</p

Heterogeneity in cooperation for innovation and technological capabilities of firms in Italy

This study aims at providing new insights into the role of cooperation in the process of technological capabilities development across firms in Italy. Technological capabilities are considered in relation to the way innovation is performed, whether by generation, imitation or adoption strategies. Main findings, based on firm-level data from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS 2012), confirm that the role of heterogeneous cooperation linkages for innovation varies greatly across firms and industries, so that it cannot be fully appreciated when innovative firms are considered on the same footing, regardless of whether they have been able to develop the new technologies introduced or not

Bari disuguale

Le città nascono, crescono, entrano in crisi, generano attività, conoscenza e relazioni, si alimentano dell’incessante movimento delle persone, delle merci, delle idee, sono la base fisica dei rapporti collettivi, dei beni pubblici, della comunità e dell’impegno civico. Nella loro incessante evoluzione le città attraggono e respingono, creano vantaggi per alcuni e svantaggi per altri. Accolgono e allontanano, fanno arricchire e impoveriscono. Uniscono e dividono. Questa incessante evoluzione crea disuguaglianze. Noi ci interesseremo delle disuguaglianze interne ad una grande città del Sud: Bari. Tratteremo le differenze come un fenomeno spaziale. Non ci interesseremo di disuguale distribuzione di risorse e opportunità tra le persone, ma tra i micro territori che formano una città in cui le persone risiedon

Determinants of sustainable & responsible innovations: A firm-level analysis for Italy

This paper provides a micro-econometric analysis of the factors facilitating the introduction of Sustainable &amp; Responsible Innovations by firms, with a focus on those aimed at improving occupational health and safety and reducing environmental impacts. Compared to the latter, the former objective of innovation has rarely been investigated with quantitative methods. By means of a bivariate probit model, we assess whether firms pursuing workers’ health and safety as innovation objective are also ascribing high importance to environment preservation. The evidence provided by using data for Italian firms highlights the key role of external knowledge and innovation sources and internal human resource practices for the achievement of Sustainable &amp; Responsible innovative outcomes. Many similarities but also some differences between innovative firms emerge, according to whether they are committed to health and safety or environment protection

Firms’ organisational capabilities and innovation generation: the case of Italy

This paper explores the relation between firms’ organisational capabilities and their engagement in different innovation processes based on generation or adoption. We place greater emphasis on the internal generation, as this should signal whether firms’ have put their own inventive and creative efforts in the development of the new products and processes introduced and, thus, the achievement of higher capabilities of innovating. We consider that, to increase their innovative capabilities, firms could introduce different organisational innovations aimed at improving the management of their internal and external activities. Besides this, we consider whether firms are organised in a business group as also this likely shapes their organisational capabilities, enabling them to better capture and take advantage of various grouplevel resources for the internal generation of new technologies. The empirical analysis carried out by using recent data from the Italian Community Innovation Survey shows that different organisational innovations are always beneficial, whatever the innovation process followed by firms: however, especially those related to firms’ internal activities facilitate innovation generation more than adoption. At least to some extent, even group affiliation contributes to increase firms’ innovative capabilities, regardless of the location of the mother firm

Human capital and firms’ innovation: evidence from emerging economies

We explore the relationship between human capital and firms’ innovation in emerging economies. Most papers consider the formal knowledge developed in R&amp;D laboratories as a major source of innovation. However, a critical portion of knowledge required for innovation resides in human resources and is created outside any formalised R&amp;D activity. We consider that, to improve their technological capabilities, firms should invest in different forms of human capital, namely highly educated workforce and experienced managers, but also in strategic human resource (HR) practices aimed at developing human capital by increasing employees’ firm-specific technical skills and competences. Besides looking at the type of innovation outcomes, we place greater emphasis on the strategies of innovation development, as these should signal an improved firms’ ability, not just to innovate, but to put their own creative effort in the development of innovation. Our results contrast with the traditional view of firms in emerging economies as mainly relying on the external acquisition of innovations, by showing their actual ability to develop new technologies. In this respect, HR practices aimed at fostering employees’ learning and autonomy at work appear more important than the educational attainment of workers, whilst the experience of managers does not seem effective