亚开行-内部研发、技术转让与企业绩效（英）-2023.4-21页_430kb

Summary of ADBI Working Paper 1371: In-House R&D, Technology Transfer, and Firms’ Performance

Background and Objectives

• Objective: Analyze the individual and joint impacts of in-house R&D and technology transfer on firms' productivity and export performance in Vietnamese manufacturing.
• Context: Innovation (R&D and technology transfer) is critical for productivity gains. Firms in developing countries can pursue R&D or acquire existing technology via transfer to keep pace with advanced economies.
• Key Questions: Does R&D and technology transfer individually enhance performance? Do they complement each other?

Data and Methodology

• Data: Uses data from the Viet Nam Enterprise Survey (VES) 2009–2014, supplemented by the Viet Nam Technology and Competitiveness Survey (TCS). Matches firm-level data on R&D, technology transfer, productivity, and exports.
• Method: Regression analysis with firm fixed effects and time fixed effects. Examines linear effects and interactions between R&D and specific technology transfer channels.

Key Findings

1. Technology Transfer:

   • Has a significant positive impact on exports, particularly export participation (extensive margin) and export share (intensive margin).
   • Strongest effects are linked to supply chain relationships (contracting with suppliers or buyers) and purchasing embodied technology (e.g., machinery/equipment), suggesting vertical spillovers.
   • Long-term supply chain partnerships enhance the effectiveness of technology transfer, boosting productivity.

2. R&D:

   • Weaker evidence of impact on productivity, with only a significant positive effect on export participation.
   • Individual impact on productivity is insigificant, possibly due to limited scale or scope of R&D activities in Vietnamese firms.

3. Complementarity Between R&D and Technology Transfer:

   • Firms engaging in both R&D and technology transfer show improved export performance, especially when R&D is combined with purchasing embodied technology or supply chain linkages.
   • R&D enhances absorptive capacity, amplifying the benefits of technology transfer, particularly for export-oriented firms.

Policy Implications

• Governments (e.g., Vietnam) should support R&D through grants to foster better technology adoption and innovation capabilities.
• Policies promoting intra-firm linkages along supply chains can strengthen technology transfer and its productivity effects.
• Further research needed to address limitations, such as data on actual R&D intensity and absorptive capacity for less robust technology transfer channels.

Limitations

• Relys on firm-reported perceptions for technology transfer, limiting causal inferences.
• Cannot fully capture R&D intensity, potentially masking true effects.

For detailed technical details, refer to the full paper.