Innovation, Exports and Productivity: Learning and Self selection in Chile
José Miguel Benavente, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile.
Since long ago economists have shown that research and development (R&D) and business innovation are key factors for the growth of firms and the development of the economies. There is also some consensus that greater degrees of trade openness are beneficial for the long-term growth of countries. Nonetheless, there is still no evidence on the combined impact of both factors even though the link between them seem of particular relevance, especially for developing countries. This article examines the relationship between productivity, expenditure in R&D and exports at a plant level for the case of Chile. The main results show that firms that actually spend on R&D are considerably more likely to export but the reverse is not true. Moreover, we observe that both R&D and exports have a joint effect on the improvement in productivity in the Chilean plants. These results allow us to recover the private return to R&D and to learning by exporting across different sectors.
About the speaker
José Miguel Benavente holds a full professorship position at the Business School, Adolfo Ibañez University in Chile. He has widely published in the areas of innovation, R&D, applied microeconometrics, economic development, SMEs and criminology. His recent research involves the link between R&D, innovation, exports, productivity and employment using firm level data. During 2006 he was appointed counsellor at the Chilean National Innovation Council were he is currently its vice President combining his research work with public policies. Benavente holds a DPhil and a MSc in Economics form the University of Oxford, a MA in Development Economics from the University of Chile, and BA in Engineering from the Catholic University at Valparaiso.
Venue: A1.22 (Tongersestraat 53, Maastricht)
Date: 20 February 2013
Time: 12:00 - 13:30 CEST
