Determinants of Knowledge Exchange Between Foreign and Domestic Enterprises in European Post-transition Economies
Andrea Gauselmann
Journal Economia e Politica Industriale (Journal of Industrial and Business Economics),
No. 4,
2014
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature on internationalised research and development by investigating determinants of knowledge and technology transfer between foreign subsidiaries and the local economy in European post-transition economies. This inquiry leads to a better understanding of determinants that influence this knowledge and technology exchange. Applying a logit model, we find that, in particular, the foreign subsidiary’s corporate governance structure, its embeddedness in the multinational enterprise’s internal knowledge base, its own technological capacity, the growth of the regional knowledge stock and the regional sectoral diversification are all positively associated with the transfer of knowledge. Subsidiaries’ investment motives and the relative weight of the sector of investment in the region’s economy appear to be of less importance. The analysis focuses on European post-transition economies, using the example of five selected Central Eastern European countries and East Germany. We exploit a unique dataset, the IWH FDI Micro database, which contains information on one thousand two hundred forty-five foreign subsidiaries in this region.
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Kommunale Kooperation und Effizienz: Das Beispiel der hessischen Abwasserentsorgung
F. Blaeschke, Peter Haug
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 4,
2014
Abstract
Angesichts der teilweise prekären Finanzlage deutscher Kommunen gelten freiwillige Kooperationen im Kommunalbereich als mögliche Alternative, z. B. zu politisch heiklen Gebietsreformen, um Kostenersparnisse zu realisieren. Die Ergebnisse einer Effizienzstudie des IWH (in Kooperation mit der Universität Kassel) zeigen am Beispiel der hessischen kommunalen Abwasserentsorgung allerdings, dass sich nicht jede Form der kommunalen Zusammenarbeit bzw. Arbeitsteilung günstig auf die Effizienz der Leistungserstellung auswirken muss. Insbesondere die verbreitete Teilzweckverbandslösung schneidet hier eher ungünstig ab. Weitere Ergebnisse zeigen neben einem erheblichen Effizienzsteigerungspotenzial auch eine weitgehende Ausschöpfung von Größenvorteilen. Daneben bestätigt sich außerdem der erhebliche Einfluss demographischer und siedlungsstruktureller Faktoren für die effiziente Abwassersammlung und -behandlung.
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The Regional Distribution of Foreign Investment in Russia: Are Russians more Appealing to Multinationals as Consumers or as Natural Resource Holders?
K. Gonchar, Philipp Marek
Economics of Transition and Institutional Change,
No. 4,
2014
Abstract
This article conducts a plant-level study of the factors affecting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow to a large opening economy endowed with specific factor advantages. We conclude that the distribution of FDI in Russian regions depends on market access and can be most notably described by the knowledge-capital framework. Factor endowments built by natural resources are more successful in explaining the location decisions of export–platform affiliates. The impact of natural resources depends on how the availability of these resources is measured. The results reject the crowding out effects of resource FDI and prove co-location mode, when service investments are attracted to resource-rich regions. Labour cost advantages better explain the preferences of non-trading service affiliates.
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The Social Capital Legacy of Communism-results from the Berlin Wall Experiment
Peter Bönisch, Lutz Schneider
European Journal of Political Economy,
No. 32,
2013
Abstract
In this paper we establish a direct link between the communist history, the resulting structure of social capital, and attitudes toward spatial mobility. We argue that the communist regime induced a specific social capital mix that discouraged geographic mobility even after its demise. Theoretically, we integrate two branches of the social capital literature into one more comprehensive framework distinguishing an open type and a closed type of social capital. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) we take advantage of the natural experiment that separated Germany into two parts after the WWII to identify the causal effect of social capital on mobility. We estimate a three equation ordered probit model and provide strong empirical evidence for our theoretical propositions.
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Keine Angst vor China – Befunde zur Internationalisierung von Forschung und Entwicklung
Iciar Dominguez Lacasa, Wilfried Ehrenfeld, Jutta Günther, Björn Jindra
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 3,
2013
Abstract
Die Internationalisierung von Forschung und Entwicklung nimmt seit vielen Jahren zu. Dieses Phänomen weckt die Befürchtung, der Technologiestandort Deutschland könne durch die Verlagerung von Forschungsaktivitäten insbesondere in die aufstrebenden Schwellenländer gefährdet werden. Um ein vollständigeres Bild dieser Vorgänge zu erhalten, gibt der Beitrag auf der Basis transnationaler Patentdaten einen Überblick über das Ausmaß sowie die relevanten Technologie-felder der Erfinderaktivitäten deutscher Unternehmen im Ausland in den ver-gangenen zwei Jahrzehnten. Die Analyse zeigt, dass Westeuropa mit einem stabilen Anteil von gut 60% weiterhin die wichtigste Zielregion für technologische Aktivitäten deutscher Unternehmen mit Patentoutput ist. In den letzten Jahren haben allerdings Schwellenländer, allen voran China, deutlich an Attraktivität gewonnen, wobei sich der Umfang der Erfinderaktivitäten deutscher Firmen in diesen Ländern immer noch auf einem sehr niedrigen Niveau befindet. Gleichzeitig haben die USA an Bedeutung verloren, bleiben jedoch das wichtigste einzelne Zielland. Die aktuelle Internationalisierung der Erfindertätigkeit in Richtung Schwellenländer stellt schon aufgrund ihres geringen Ausmaßes keine Bedrohung für den Forschungsstandort Deutschland dar. Zudem birgt die stärkere technologische Vernetzung mit diesen aufstrebenden Regionen nicht nur Gefahren, sondern eröffnet auch Potenziale für die in Deutschland ansässige FuE der Unternehmen.
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Drittmittel
Mirko Titze
Peer Pasternack (ed.), Regional gekoppelte Hochschulen. Die Potenziale von Forschung und Lehre für demografisch herausgeforderte Regionen. Institut für Hochschulforschung (HoF): Wittenberg,
2013
Abstract
Der Umfang der Forschungs- und Transferfunktion von Hochschulen lässt sich über die Drittmittelquote messen. Hierbei werden die Drittmitteleinnahmen ins Verhältnis zu den Gesamtausgaben gesetzt. Der Beitrag vergleicht die Entwicklung der Drittmittelquoten in ost- und westdeutschen Regionen im Zeitraum von 2002 bis 2010.
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R&D Offshoring and the Productivity Growth of European Regions
Davide Castellani, F. Pieri
CIRCLE Working Papers, No. 20,
No. 20,
2013
Abstract
The recent increase in R&D offshoring have raised fears that knowledge and competitiveness in advanced countries may be at risk of 'hollowing out'. At the same time, economic research has stressed that this process is also likely to allow some reverse technology transfer and foster growth at home. This paper addresses this issue by investigating the extent to which R&D offshoring is associated with productivity dynamics of European regions. We find that offshoring regions have higher productivity growth, but this positive effect fades down with the number of investment projects carried out abroad. A large and positive correlation emerge between the extent of R&D offshoring and the home region productivity growth, supporting the idea that carrying out R&D abroad strengthen European competitiveness.
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Natural-resource or Market-seeking FDI in Russia? An Empirical Study of Locational Factors Affecting the Regional Distribution of FDI Entries
K. Gonchar, Philipp Marek
HSE Working Papers, Series: Economics, WP BRP 26/EC/2013,
2013
Abstract
This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) across regions in Russia. Our analysis employs data on Russian firms with a foreign investor during the 2000-2009 period and links regional statistics in the conditional logit model. The main findings are threefold. First, we conclude that market-related factors and the availability of natural resources are important factors in attracting FDI. Second, existing agglomeration economies encourage foreign investors. Third, the findings imply that service-oriented FDI co-locates with extraction industries in resource-endowed regions.
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Natural-resource or Market-seeking FDI in Russia? An Empirical Study of Locational Factors Affecting the Regional Distribution of FDI Entries
K. Gonchar, Philipp Marek
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 3,
2013
Abstract
This paper conducts an empirical study of the factors that affect the spatial distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) across regions in Russia; in particular, this paper is concerned with those regions that are endowed with natural resources and market-related benefits. Our analysis employs data on Russian firms with a foreign investor during the 2000-2009 period and linked regional statistics in the conditional logit model. The main findings are threefold. First, we conclude that one theory alone is not able to explain the geographical pattern of foreign investments in Russia. A combination of determinants is at work; market-related factors and the availability of natural resources are important factors in attracting FDI. The relative importance of natural resources seems to grow over time, despite shocks associated with events such as the Yukos trial. Second, existing agglomeration economies encourage foreign investors by means of forces generated simultaneously by sector-specific and inter-sectoral externalities. Third, the findings imply that service-oriented FDI co-locates with extraction industries in resource-endowed regions. The results are robust when Moscow is excluded and for subsamples including only Greenfield investments or both Greenfield investments and mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
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