Innovation and productivity in SMEs: empirical evidence for Italy |
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| Authors: | Bronwyn H Hall Jacques Mairesse |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Economics, University of California at Berkeley, 549 Evans Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3880, USA;(2) UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands;(3) NBER, Cambridge, MA, USA;(4) IFS, London, UK;(5) Economic Research Department, Bank of Italy, Via Nazionale 91, 00184 Rome, Italy;(6) CREST (ENSAE, Paris), 15, Boulevard Gabriel Peri, 92245 Malakoff Cedex, France |
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| Abstract: | Innovation in SMEs exhibits some peculiar features that most traditional indicators of innovation activity do not capture.
Therefore, in this paper, we develop a structural model of innovation that incorporates information on innovation success
from firm surveys along with the usual R&D expenditures and productivity measures. We then apply the model to data on Italian
SMEs from the “Survey on Manufacturing Firms” conducted by Mediocredito-Capitalia covering the period 1995–2003. The model
is estimated in steps, following the logic of firms’ decisions and outcomes. We find that international competition fosters
R&D intensity, especially for high-tech firms. Firm size and R&D intensity, along with investment in equipment, enhances the
likelihood of having both process and product innovation. Both these kinds of innovation have a positive impact on firm’s
productivity, especially process innovation. Among SMEs, larger and older firms seem to be less productive.
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| Keywords: | R& D Innovation Productivity SMEs Italy |
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