R&D and productivity in high-tech manufacturing: a comparison between Italy and Spain

Sterlacchini, Alessandro and Venturini, Francesco (2011): R&D and productivity in high-tech manufacturing: a comparison between Italy and Spain.

Abstract

Using data for twelve manufacturing industries over the period 1980-2006, we perform for Italy and Spain a dynamic panel estimation of the long-run elasticity of TFP with respect to R&D capital. The results show that in Spain high-tech industries have experienced a similar or slightly higher R&D elasticity than their Italian counterparts. This is mainly attributable to what occurred from the mid 1990s onwards when, thanks to increasing R&D efforts, the Spanish industries have been able to catch up with the respect to the Italian ones. The policy implications of the above findings are discussed.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Manufacturing industries; Italy and Spain; Productivity growth; R&D capital
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O30 - General; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O4 - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity > O40 - General; L - Industrial Organization > L6 - Industry Studies: Manufacturing > L60 - General

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