The European Technology Policy : Propositions for a Multilevel Governance

The aim of this paper is to highlight the relevance of a geographical multilevel technology policy within the European Union. At the present time the European policy of innovation is a "community" policy, in other words it involves a sharing of skills. In this paper we argue that outside the problems that this situation inherently poses, this territorial organisation may be considered as an asset. We use the central concept of technology externalities, taken in its traditional shape and in its renewals, to provide theoretical justifications for a “territorialised technology policy”, that is to say a policy of innovation designed and implemented on several territorial levels. Three levels are here taken into account : regional, national, European.European technology policy; knowledge externalities; multilevel governance.

Why royalties ? Evidence from French distribution networks

This empirical note deals with the contractual design of relationships in distribution networks. In the framework of agency theory, I study the royalty rate as an incentive device for the upstream firm in maintaining brand-name value, using recent French data to estimate probit models. The results are consistent with the analytical framework.Vertical Relationships; Distribution Networks; Contract Design; Two-sided moral hazard

The geography of innovation : challenge to technology policy within regions

The "Geography of Innovation" is based on the desire to give empirical foundations to the explanations behind the pronounced spatial polarisation of the innovation activities. It focuses on an attempt to measure the spatial dimension of knowledge externalities, in order to reveal their role in the organisation of research systems. The aim of this paper is to survey this empirical literature in order to highlight the main results interesting for the innovation policy. This analysis emphasises one main role of technology policy : supporting the institutions which generate knowledge and learning. These are found at various territorial levels, especially within the European Union. Here attention is drawn to the regional intervention level.technology policy, geography of innovation, knowledge externalities, European regions, knowledge-based economy

Double-Sided Externalities and Vertical Contracting : Evidence from European Franchising Data

This paper deals with contractual design and vertical relationships within a franchise chain, in the field of the literature on share contracts. Within a double-sided moral hazard, the contract sharing the profit generated by the vertical decentralized structure results from the necessity to incite both the franchisee and the franchisor. This paper takes into account the five franchisor incentive mechanisms in order to study the chosen type of vertical coordination in different contexts. Using a multinational European dataset, we provide evidence that the two-sided externalities and monitoring costs have an influence on the type of vertical coordination in the networkAgency theory; econometrics of contracting; vertical restraints

Economic Rationales of Exclusive Dealing ; Empirical Evidence from the French Distribution Networks

This paper investigates the rationales of exclusive dealing (ED), which is one of the most common forms of vertical restraint and attracts intense policy debates in anti-trust regulations. Based on a survey of the theoretical literature, we derive several hypotheses relative to the anti- and pro-competitive motivations of ED. These hypotheses are submitted to French data regarding several types of distribution networks in a wide range of sectors. Considering the industry features, our empirical analysis indicates that in the French distribution system, ED contracts tend to be procompetitive. The evidence suggests that the motivation of ED mainly lies in its positive role to foster the investment of upstream firms

Performance in distribution systems : What is the influence of the upstream firm's organizational choices ?

This paper studies the performance of distribution networks as the result of a range of organizational choices made by the upstream firm. The analytical part of the paper surveys the vast literature devoted to franchising and to dual distribution. From this framework, several testable propositions are derived, linking the networks performance to the organizational choices. Three complementary criteria of performance are taken into account : the internationalization rate, the expansion rate, the market share. The paper provides evidence that these criteria are empirically related. Thus, a system of simultaneous equations is defined, free of endogeneity relating to the explanatory variables. The estimations on recent French data by means of the three-least squares method provide robust results, and show that the type of distribution network, the number of company-owned units in the network, the type of sector, and the choice to manage several networks simultaneously affect the performance in distribution systems

Double-Sided Externalities and Vertical Contracting : Evidence from European Franchising Data

This paper deals with contractual design and vertical relationships within a franchise chain, in the field of the literature on share contracts. Within a double-sided moral hazard, the contract sharing the profit generated by the vertical decentralized structure results from the necessity to incite both the franchisee and the franchisor. This paper takes into account the five franchisor incentive mechanisms in order to study the chosen type of vertical coordination in different contexts. Using a multinational European dataset, we provide evidence that the two-sided externalities and monitoring costs have an influence on the type of vertical coordination in the networ

Signaling the value of a business concept : Evidence from a structural model with Brazilian franchising data

Within the wide literature regarding franchising, a few studies were devoted to the adverse selection phenomena in the franchise relationships, and to the signaling explanation of the franchisors' organizational choices. Previous empirical works concluded that the signaling framework is not well adapted to study franchising. However, most of the empirical literature has focused on developed countries. This empirical paper deals with the case of Brazil. We estimate on recent franchising data a structural equation model capturing the simultaneous influences of a valuable business concept. The paper provides evidence that the signaling theory is adequate to understand the organizational choices regarding the ownership structure of franchised networks in emerging markets. The estimation results suggest indeed that the Brazilian franchisors use signaling devices, and that the necessity to signal the value of a business concept affects the organizational choices at the network level

Réputation des réseaux de franchise et restrictions verticales : un travail empirique sur données françaises

Cet article confronte l'explication en terme d'agence des restrictions verticales aux données empiriques caractérisant les réseaux de franchises. Nous étudions l'influence des comportements potentiels de passager clandestin sur la structure des contrats, plus précisément sur la présence et l'intensité de certaines clauses. Dans les systèmes de franchise, l'opportunisme des distributeurs dégrade la réputation du réseau. Les tests économétriques menés sur données françaises permettent d'apprécier l'impact de ce problème sur l'organisation contractuelle des relations fournisseurs-détaillants. Les résultats mettent en évidence la pertinence globale du cadre analytique, mais s'avèrent contrastés selon les clauses analysées. Ils suggèrent également l'influence d'autres problématiques que les coûts d'agence dans la détermination du contenu des contrats de franchis

Knowledge diffusion and innovation policies within the European regions: Challenges based on recent empirical evidence

This article builds upon empirical results concerning localised knowledge spillovers to highlight some policy implications within European regions. The analysis emphasises the role of regional innovation policies in supporting the institutions that generate knowledge and learning. However, the variety of regional features presented in the empirical literature suggests that the search for universal policy tools is unrealistic. From this perspective, we argue that original strategies must be generated to cope with the various dilemmas faced by regional innovation policies. Such specific strategies require accurate knowledge of local features. Improving data and indicators to diagnose and monitor regional innovation is therefore presented as a key issue for policy makersinnovation policy ; localised knowledge flows ; European regions ; knowledge-based economy