技术差距、后发陷阱和创新激励-一个纵向差异模型

本文在纵向差异的模型框架下考察了两个厂商的技术选择和创新激励。最终的均衡结果不但依赖于他们之间的技术差距,也可能与他们的行动顺序密切相关。技术后进者面临一个技术提升的后发陷阱,其中后发者的利润并不会随着其技术水平的提升而增加。在此基础上,我们分析了"市场换技术"策略的可行性,发现该策略存在一个实施上的悖论:如果让FDI生产技术水平更高的产品,则当地厂商提升技术水平的激励会减弱甚至没有;反过来,如果要让当地厂商具有更大的提升技术水平的激励,则引入的FDI就必须生产技术水平更低的产品。我们的分析表明,发展中国家在引入FDI时,其真正面临的可能是在"技术前沿"与"创新激励"上的一个权衡。由此,若从提升当地技术水平的角度看,发展中国家应该采取当地企业先动的产业政策,以尽可能维护他们提升技术水平的激励。

TECHNOLOGICAL GAPS,THE TRAP OF BACKWARDNESS AND INCENTIVES FOR INNOVATION:A MODEL OF VERTICAL DIFFERENTIATION

This paper analyzes quality choices and innovative incentives in a duopoly model of vertical product differentiation.We find that the final outcome depends not only on the technological gap but also on the order of actions as well.Interestingly,the technological follower faces a "trap of backwardness" in which his profit does not increase with technological upgrading while the leader always has stronger local and global incentives to enhance her technological capacity.Our analysis also implies that "market-...