Mapping the Two Faces of R&D: Productivity Growth in a Panel of OECD Industries

Rachel Griffith, Stephen Redding and John van Reenen

CEP Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: Many writers have claimed that R&D has two 'faces'. In addition to the conventional role of stimulating innovation, R&D enhances technology transfer by improving the ability of firms to learn about advances in the leading edge ('absorptive capacity'). In this paper we document that there has been convergence of TFP within a panel of industries across thirteen OECD countries since 1970. Furthermore, we find evidence that both R&D and human capital appear statistically and economically important in this catch up process as well as stimulating innovation directly. Trade, by contrast, plays a more modest role in productivity growth.

Keywords: R and D; human capital; total factor productivity; convergence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000-05
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (98)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Mapping the Two Faces of R&D: Productivity Growth in a Panel of OECD Industries (2004)
Working Paper: Mapping The Two Faces Of R&D: Productivity Growth In A Panel Of OECD Industries (2000)
Working Paper: Mapping the two faces of R&D: productivity growth in a panel of OECD industries (2000)
Working Paper: Mapping the two faces of R&D: productivity growth in a panel of OECD industries (2000)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0458

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