Interactive and synergistic relationships among different types of innovations

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not only led to rapid innovation but also shortened the innovation cycle. By comparing the manufacturing and service industries, this study investigated the controversial relationship between product and process innovation from a long-term perspective and examined the synergistic effects of diverse types of innovation on firm performance. Recent five-year Korean Innovation Survey data showed that product and process innovation had interrelationships rather than a one-way sequential relationship. Furthermore, the four different innovation activities have synergistic effects on the firms’ financial performance.