Effects of intellectual property rights and patented knowledge in innovation and industry value added: A multinational empirical analysis of different industries

Technological innovation drives long-term economic growth, so most countries attempt to provide an innovation-friendly environment that includes tightening protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). However, debate continues on whether strengthened IPR lead to technological development and economic growth: patents promote innovation by protecting appropriation from invention and disclosing knowledge to the public, but they also create excessive monopoly power that may impede further innovation.Using simultaneous equations with cross-country panel data from 12 countries and 3 industries (chemical, electronic, machinery), we estimated the direct effect of IPR on industry value added and the indirect effect of it through enhanced research and development (R&D). The bilateral role of IPR, as measured by patented knowledge, was used to distinguish different characteristics of industries as well as the positive and negative effects of IPR on innovation.Results suggest that IPR generally enhance industry value added, but the positive effect is mitigated with increased enforcement of IPR. Also, IPR enhanced R&D but showed a negative relationship with patented knowledge, suggesting that excessive propertization of knowledge may hinder sequential innovation. The positive role of IPR on R&D predominated in the chemical (discrete) industry and exerted negative effects in the electronic and machinery (complex) industries.     

知识产权保护与中国工业创新能力

利用省际大中型工业企业面板数据,考察了知识产权保护对我国工业创新能力的影响。结果显示,知识产权保护与新产品和专利产出均存在倒U形关系,但超过95%的样本位于拐点左侧,强化知识产权保护能够加快我国绝大多数地区工业创新能力的提升。同时,知识产权保护对发明专利的促进作用要显著大于实用新型和外观设计专利。对其影响渠道的进一步研究还表明,强化知识产权保护在激励企业自主研发、提高国外技术引进效果、促进FDI知识溢出等均发挥了正向作用,并且知识产权保护对企业自主研发的引致作用在发明专利中尤为明显。本文从多个层面证实了知识产权保护在当前我国工业创新能力特别是核心技术能力提升中的积极作用。     

Technology-based design and sustainable economic growth

This paper seeks to analyze how design creates economic value. The literature on knowledge-based economic development has primarily focused on innovation as the analytical lens, whereas design is the original action that leads to innovation. Despite the fundamental importance of design, existing design research has offered few insights and little guidance for national strategies due to the lack of focus on and analysis of design in an economic context. This paper addresses such gaps by linking design research and economic development theory. We first elaborate on the relationship among design, invention and innovation, describing the necessity of design activity for invention and innovation. Our analysis of the fundamental characteristics of design across contexts sheds light on the strategic importance of the accumulative nature of technology-based design for sustaining economic growth. Through the lens of technology-based design, we further quantitatively compare Singapore and three similarly-sized countries (South Korea, Finland and Taiwan). Based upon interview data, we also qualitatively examine Singapore's national strategy focusing on design. The quantitative and qualitative results align well with the Singaporean government's use of design as a strategic lever to pursue innovation-driven economic growth, and also reveal its achievements and shortfalls which indicate possible directions for strategic adjustment.     

Towards a holistic enterprise innovation performance measurement system

This paper identifies the gaps in previously proposed enterprise innovation performance measurement schemes vis-à-vis today?s enterprise needs and proffers a process based innovation performance measurement scheme, which improves upon existing schemes by significantly broadening the measurement scope. A number of industry surveys bear out the discontent of enterprises with existing innovation performance measurement schemes. In order to address pertinent enterprise needs, a literature review of innovation performance measurement schemes is presented, followed by a set of guiding principles for developing a more robust scheme that emphasizes the distinction between the measurement of invention and exploitation and can be used as a taxonomy for innovation key performance indicators.     

A literature review on HRM and innovation – taking stock and future directions

This article reviews the growing body of empirical evidence (N = 35) on the impact of HRM on innovation that has been published during the past 25 years (1990–2015). Our most definitive finding concerns the impact of bundled HRM practices, which can be firmly linked to innovation. The role of high-commitment practice bundles appears particularly important. Studies on the various individual practices indicate that practices that foster employee commitment, loyalty, learning and intrinsic motivation are conducive to innovation. Some evidence points to the role of macro- and micro-level moderators setting boundary conditions (e.g. industry and strategy) for the HRM–innovation relationship and to mediators, such as creativity and knowledge management, as explanatory mechanisms as to why HRM impacts innovation. We noted a number of insufficiently covered areas that call for further research. We present four specific recommendations: (1) different phases of the innovation process deserve greater attention; (2) the invention of radical innovation warrants further investigation; (3) measurement of innovation and HRM should be more consistent; and (4) the theoretical underpinnings of the relationship between HRM and innovation should be strengthened. We conclude by reflecting the ‘black box’ stage between HRM and innovation through the AMO framework.     

Multiple independent invention and the process of technological innovation

Multiple independent invention, i.e. two or more inventions being made independently of each other (not necessarily at the same time), is a well documented phenomenon. The concept is embodied in the phrase “reinventing the wheel” which is part of common knowledge, and widely used.Although the concept of multiple independent invention has been widely reported, it has rarely been recognised in the context of the process of technological innovation or the diffusion of innovations. In addition the majority of the studies of multiples have been well after the date of invention; little study has taken place of multiples during the subsequent innovation process. This article reports the study of one case of multiple independent innovation, examining the processes of innovation and diffusion in each identified version of the multiple. It tries to show how this concept provides new insights into the process of technological innovation.     

研发外包是否会抑制我国制造业自主创新能力?

本文利用2002年、2007年中国投入产出表和联合国贸发数据库中数据,测算历年我国制造业的研发外包率,随后利用2003~2011年制造业细分行业的面板数据,从创新能力和创新效率两个维度,考察了研发外包对我国自主创新能力的影响。实证结果显示:研发外包可以显著地促进我国制造业的创新能力和创新效率。研发外包每增加1%,将会促进制造业创新能力提高0.322%,创新效率改善0.0884%。从作用机制来看,研发外包对创新效率的正向作用主要体现在对纯技术进步率的提高上。本文进一步运用Hansen(1999)提出的门槛检验方法对研发外包创新提升效应的若干因素及其门槛特征进行检验,并从吸收能力和议价能力两个方面分析和筛选出适合开展研发外包的行业。本文的研究结论表明在后危机时代,研发外包是我国制造业提高创新能力,进而顺利完成转型升级任务的最佳选择。     

The transformation between exploration and exploitation applied to inventors of packaging innovations

While the inventor is often the driver of an invention in the early stages, he/she needs to move between different social networks for knowledge in order to create and capture value. The main objective of this research is to propose a literature-based framework based on innovation network theory and complemented with C–K theory, in order to analyze the invention/innovation process of inventors and the product concepts in a packaging industry context. Empirical input from three case studies of packaging inventions and their inventors is used to elaborate the suggested framework.The article identifies important gaps in the literature of innovation networks. This is addressed through a theoretical framework based on network theories, complemented with C–K theory for the product design level. The strength-of-ties dimension of the theoretical framework suggests, in agreement with the mainstream literature and the cases presented, that weak ties are required to access the knowledge related to exploration networks and strong ties are required to utilize the knowledge in the exploitation network. The transformation network is an intermediate step acting as a bridge where entrepreneurs can find required knowledge. The transformation network is also an intermediate step where entrepreneurs find financing and companies interested in commercializing inventions.     

经济规模、技术创新与垂直专业化分工

借鉴Hummels等(2001)的垂直专业化分析框架,本文比较了中国大陆等32个经济体1995年、2000年以及2005年制造业出口的垂直专业化水平。在此基础上,本文利用中国大陆等32个经济体18个制造业行业数据,进一步探讨了影响垂直专业化水平的主要因素。经验观察和计量分析结果发现,经济规模越大、技术创新能力越强的经济体,垂直专业化水平越低;技术复杂度越高的行业,垂直专业化水平也越高;技术越复杂的行业在经济规模越大、技术创新能力越强的经济体内,垂直专业化水平相对更低。本文的研究结论为我们评估中国当前的经济发展方式和国际竞争力提供了一个思路。     

On forecasting of innovations

The forecasting of basic technological innovations is focused. Clarification of the involved key concepts and an analytical framework are given. The forest industry serves as a background and illustration to the discussion. Considerable uncertainty prevails with respect to strategic investments in production in this industry. Industries, technological products, etc. have empirically been shown to pass similar phases of development over time. This life cycle starts with a basic innovation following on a previous invention. Due to competetion from more recent basic innovations the final phase is one of decline. Basic innovations are suggested to be exogenously determined and to cause structural change. The choice of forecasting strategy is suggested to be made dependent on the type of innovation, knowledge base, and life cycle position.     

Innovation and productivity: insights from Malaysia's logistics industry

Efficient logistics is critical to a country's trade competitiveness. This paper uses the Data Envelopment Analysis Malmquist Index that includes an innovation component comprising three dimensions (input, process, and output), to assess the impact of innovation by third-party logistics (3PL). We treat the panel data of asset-based 3PL in Malaysia from 2007 to 2012. Three findings hold. First, innovation is not always accompanied by productivity gains. Second, innovation is still lacking in the logistics industry in Malaysia. Third, 3PL need to invest more in technology and stay financially healthy to accelerate the diffusion of innovation under a more competitive cost structure. This paper has two contributions. First, we offer an enhanced methodology for total factor productivity by including an innovation component and apply it for the first time to the logistics industry. Second, we augment the performance measurement literature specific to the logistics industry and our research suggests that the antecedents of productivity in logistics companies are investment and financial strength. These productivity–innovation findings provide insights into Malaysia's logistics industry and may be helpful for economies similar to Malaysia.     

中国装备制造产业创新网络运行效率及提升策略研究

通过分析装备制造产业创新网络运行机理,选取BBC模型、Malmquist指数作为运行效率测度模型,结合装备制造产业创新网络面板数据对其运行效率进行测度,结果表明:2008—2018年中国装备制造产业创新网络整体运行效率以平均每年8.7%的速度递增;从地区角度看,创新网络运行效率呈“东—中—西”阶梯差异态势,但差异态势逐年缩小;从省份角度看,全国26个省份运行效率存在异质性,大体可分为第一、二、三、四梯队;技术水平进步对全要素生产率增长的提升作用要大于纯技术效率和规模效率贡献;技术研发阶段效率低于成果转化阶段效率,两阶段存在脱节现象。创新网络是推动装备制造产业创新升级的重要力量之一,中国要坚定不移地推进创新驱动战略,以提升装备制造产业创新网络运行效率;依据不同地区、不同省份装备制造产业创新网络状况,实施差异化政策组合,以提升运行效率;注重研发技术市场化,以提升成果转化阶段效率。     

Language acquisition and regional innovation: Evidence from English proficiency in China

Language, as an instrument of human thinking and communication, plays a critical role in the process of knowledge formation and innovation cooperation. This paper investigates the impact of English proficiency on regional innovation in China. We find that English proficiency can improve the level of regional innovation, particularly for invention patents. Further channel tests show that English proficiency affects regional innovation by enhancing knowledge acquisition, knowledge creation, and knowledge absorption. Moreover, the policy shock of the 2016 college entrance exam mitigates the positive impact of English proficiency on regional innovation. English proficiency can also effectively enhance regional entrepreneurship.     

银行业与制造业协同集聚的创新效应研究——基于中国257地级市数据的实证检验

基于中国工业企业数据和金融活动普查数据库,构建了银行业和制造业协同集聚指数,研究了银行业与制造业协同集聚对制造业企业新产品创新的影响效果,并对其中的影响机制进行了深入探究。实证研究结果表明：银行业与制造业协同集聚水平的提升有效地促进了制造业企业的创新行为;进一步研究发现,协同集聚水平的提升主要通过改善企业融资约束的水平和长期债务融资的获得,从而促进企业的创新。协同集聚对不同类型的企业创新具有异质性影响,其作用会因企业规模、所有制以及所在地区等因素存在差异。通过采用不同方法及样本的检验后,上述结论依然成立。研究结论为优化产业集聚演进、推动创新驱动战略的实施提供了新的依据。     

Strategies of user-initiated product innovation

Several studies of success and failure in industrial new product development have demonstrated that, in order to be effective innovators, manufacturers must appreciate thoroughly the needs and behaviour of potential users. Attention has also been focused on the needs for precise and adequate communication between producers and customers during the innovative process and for close interaction between buyers and sellers at all stages. The research reported here deals with situations in which the required appreciation, communication and closeness ought to be readily available, for user-initiated innovation refers to the inauguration of new industrial processes and products by users rather than by external manufacturers. Since the user-initiator who invents the innovation also applies it directly in his own productive processes before approaching a manufacturer who will produce and market it under license or undertaking these tasks himself, there is a rare closeness between producer and (at least the initial) buyer which is founded upon a unique access to information about the operational performance of the innovation. The paper is especially concerned with identifying for further research the strategic, managerial and organisational issues which arise out of the expansion of the entrepreneurial role of the user-initiator in the commercial exploitation of his invention as a product innovation. Given the compelling evidence that many companies fail to make full use of the technologies available to them as sources of new products, this research is seen as an essential component of the regeneration and increased competitive advantage of British industry.     

Innovation and de facto standardization: The influence of dominant design on innovative performance,radical innovation,and process innovation

Setting technology standards is the route to market growth and to potentially influencing the performance of a whole industry. When a market accepts a particular technology as one that defines the specifications for products in the entire industry, a dominant design is set. In this article, we investigate how the existence of a dominant design affects subsequent innovation in an industry. In particular, we study the influence on innovative performance, radical innovation, and process innovation. Analyzing longitudinal, cross-sectional patent data for more than 2.6 million patents filed from 1978 to 2013, we find support for our hypotheses that an industry's innovative performance and degree of radical innovation are negatively influenced by dominant design in that industry, and that process innovation is fostered by the occurrence of a dominant design. We discuss the findings in the light of the increasing speed of technological development and standardization. Additionally, results from a sensitivity analysis for different threshold values of dominant design call for adjusting a binary definition of dominant design with different threshold values depending on the effects under study.     

Economic conditions for innovation: Private vs. public sector

The Hicks induced innovation hypothesis states that a price increase of a production factor is a spur to invention. We propose an alternative hypothesis restating that a spur to invention requires not only an increase of one factor but also a decrease of at least one other factor to offset the companies’ cost. We illustrate the need for our alternative hypothesis in a historical example of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, we econometrically evaluate both hypotheses in a case study of research and development (R&D) in 29 OECD countries from 2003 to 2017. Specifically, we investigate the dependence of investments to R&D on the economic environment represented by average wages and oil prices using panel regression. We find that our alternative hypothesis is supported for R&D funded and/or performed by business enterprises while the original Hicks hypothesis holds for R&D funded by the government and R&D performed by universities. Our results reflect that the business sector is significantly influenced by market conditions, unlike the government and higher education sectors.     

论企业家的系统创新意识

创新意识是企业家的一种本能.创新不等于发明创造,创新不仅仅是技术创新.企业家的创新是一项系统工程,首要是创新意识,包括观念创新意识、制度创新意识,市场创新意识,管理创新意识等.     

The impact of government funding on research innovation: An empirical analysis of Chinese universities

The university is one of the most important places for scientific research, and it is the cradle of knowledge output and technological invention. Using the granular data of more than 1,000 universities' funding from the government in China, we investigate the impact of government funding on research innovation at the university level. The results show that government funds promote the output of research innovation of universities. The effectiveness of government funding is greater when combined with greater human capital and more platforms for international cooperation. Interestingly, further studies have found that human capital and non-government funds have a moderating influence on the effect of government funds on university research output. Moreover, there are some differences between “211 Project” (high quality) universities and “non-211 Project” universities. Finally, given the relaxation of policy for government funding of university research in 2014, we investigate the relationship between human capital (especially specialists with senior titles) and government funds in the process of research innovation. The results show that, before 2014, human capital presents a substitution relationship with government funding while it presents a complementary relationship after 2014.     

Assessing and ranking the innovation ability and business performance of global companies in the aerospace and defense industry

This study examined the innovation ability and business performance of global companies in the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry by using dynamic data envelopment analysis and ranking methods with the DuPont model. Results indicated that compared with business performance, A&D companies exhibit lower scores and higher standard deviations in the innovation ability, which signified that they should first work on reducing the gap in the level of innovation ability. DuPont analysis indicated that typical A&D companies exhibit the highest ROE. Finally, this study offers managers and policymakers detailed insights into potential areas of improvements in innovations, business performance, and profitability.