What are the Channels for Technology Sourcing? Panel Data Evidence from German Companies

Harhoff, Dietmar (12. March 2012): What are the Channels for Technology Sourcing? Panel Data Evidence from German Companies. Discussion Papers in Business Administration 2012-1

Abstract

Innovation processes within corporations increasingly tap into international technology sources, yet little is known about the relative contribution of different types of innovation channels. We investigate the effectiveness of different types of international technology sourcing activities using survey information on German companies complemented with information from the European Patent Office. German firms with inventors based in the US disproportionately benefit from R&D knowledge located in the US. The positive influence on total factor productivity is larger if the research of the inventors results in co-applications of patents with US companies. Moreover, research cooperation with American suppliers also enables German firms to better tap into US R&D, but cooperation with customers and competitors does not appear to aid technology sourcing. The results suggest that the “brain drain” to the US can have upsides for corporations tapping into American know-how.

• Item Type: Paper
• Form of publication: Preprint
• Keywords: technology sourcing, knowledge spillovers, productivity, open innovation
• Faculties: Munich School of Management; Munich School of Management > Discussion Papers; Munich School of Management > Discussion Papers > Innovation Research
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 300 Social sciences, sociology and anthropology; 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
• JEL Classification: O32, O33
• Language: English