Using patents and publications to assess R&D efficiency in the states of the USA

Even with the USA spending the largest amounts in R&D, its share in total patent grants worldwide has been declining. This decline is also evident in its share of world scientific publications. These developments have been termed by some as the “American Paradox”. Extant research on R&D efficiency and technological innovation capability has considered the USA as a homogeneous entity and has not focused at the sub-national level. This paper analyses the R&D efficiency of 50 US states and the District of Columbia. R&D efficiency is calculated as the ratio of patents granted and scientific publications to R&D expenditures. Only 14 states out of the 51 regions are found to exhibit positive changes in R&D efficiency between 2004 and 2008. Comparing this performance with that of the BRICS nations over the same period we find that Brazil, India, China and South Korea show significant improvements in R&D efficiency with India taking the lead. This research identifies the states in the US with the highest R&D efficiency and presents benchmarks which can be followed by policy interventions. The paper highlights the importance of conducting analyses of R&D efficiency using patents and publications at the sub-national level for informed policy making.     

The effect of co-inventors’ reputation and network ties on the diffusion of scientific and technical knowledge from academia to industry in South Africa

In this paper, it is found that the co-inventors' and coauthors linkages and h-indexes highly enhanced the flows of academic knowledge into industrial patents in South African firms. The findings are based on an in-depth analysis of 1702 patents and 332 science sources that had linkages with patents filed by South African enterprises at the USPTO and elsewhere between 1976 and 2010. The data on co-inventors and co-authors networks/ties as well as their h-indexes can improve prior art searches and the patent examination process. Such ties can boost knowledge diffusion in large R&D and innovation clusters and hubs, globally.     

Firm size and compositions of R&D expenditures: evidence from a panel of R&D performing manufacturing firms

The effect of firm size on diverse compositions of R&D expenditures is analysed in detail using firm-level data on the Korean manufacturing sector. On the grounds that each type of R&D activity differs in terms of salability in disembodied form and growth potential due to innovation, a distinction between product vs. process, and new vs. incremental R&D is made. Empirical tests show that the firm size is significantly associated with both the new and incremental R&D. Moreover, firm size is found to be significantly associated with other types of R&D compositions such as the share of R&D devoted to incremental innovation and multidimensional combinations of product, process, new and incremental R&D. These findings support the idea that large firms possess innovative advantages over smaller firms and firm size is an important determinant for firms’ heterogeneous R&D activities. We also discuss the limitations and the implications of the findings.     

The fishing industry research institute (South Africa)

An introduction to the activities of the South African fishing Industry Research Institute is given with emphasis on chilling and refrigeration.     

A field test of substance use screening devices as part of routine drunk-driving spot detection operating procedures in South Africa

This pilot study aimed to test four substance use screening devices developed in Germany under local South African conditions and assess their utility for detecting driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) as part of the standard roadblock operations of local law enforcement agencies. The devices were used to screen a sample of motorists in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces. The motorists were diverted for screening at roadblocks at the discretion of the law enforcement agencies involved, as per their standard operating procedures. Fieldworkers also administered a questionnaire that described the screening procedure, as well as information about vehicles, demographic information about the motorists and their attitudes to the screening process during testing. Motorists tested positive for breath alcohol in 28% of the 261 cases tested. Oral fluid was screened for drugs as per the standard calibrated cut-offs of all four devices. There were 14 cases where the under-influence drivers tested positive for alcohol and drugs simultaneously, but 14% of the 269 drivers drug-screened tested positive for drugs only. After alcohol, amphetamine, methamphetamine and cocaine were the most common drugs of impairment detected. The results suggest that under normal enforcement procedures only 76% of drivers impaired by alcohol and other drugs would have been detected. In more than 70% of cases the tests were administered within 5 min and this is likely to improve with more regular use. It was clear that the pilot screening process meets global testing standards. Although use of the screening devices alone would not serve as a basis for prosecution and provisions would need to be made for the confirmation of results through laboratory testing, rollout of this screening process would improve operational efficiency in at least two ways. Firstly, the accuracy of the tests will substantially decrease confirmatory test loads. Secondly, laboratory drug testing can be restricted to specific drugs rather than a full panel analysis, which will reduce testing costs significantly.     

研发全球化是经济全球化的新趋势*

分析了经济全球化对世界发展产生的重大影响,提出研发全球化是经济全球化的一个新阶段;研究了研发全球化的机遇与挑战及对经济全球化的促进和影响;分析了跨国公司在中国设立研发机构的特点;提出了鼓励在发展中国家建立研发机构的措施及发展中国家应采取的对策。     

The role of firm R&D effort and collaboration as mediating drivers of innovation policy effectiveness

This paper investigates the impact of firm R&D policies supporting R&D investment and collaboration on company innovation performance. Individual and cooperative R&D investments are considered as intermediate outcomes (input and behavioural additionality, respectively) contributing to the final outcome (probability of product innovation). We use a treatment random coefficient model to estimate the policy additionality on a panel data-set merging the third and the fourth wave of the Italian Community Innovation Survey. Results show a significant and positive policy impact on company propensity to product innovation only for the input additionality and for the interaction between the input and the cooperative additionality. This occurs when company cooperation scores overcome a given threshold, in accordance with the assumption that cooperation entails benefits but also coordination costs.     

北京航空材料研究所四十年

本文通过对北京航空材料研究所的规模、任务、科研成果及其商品化和“九·五”展望的介绍,展现出一个人才济济、专业齐全、设备仪器先进的知识密集型科工贸相结合的综合性应用技术研究所的面貌。     

工业企业R&D能力的审计

在建立企业R&D能力审计指标体系的基础上 ,对北京地区工业企业进行了抽样调查 ,并对高绩效企业与低绩效企业、优势企业与非优势企业以及高标企业与优势企业分别进行了R&D能力审计。研究结果表明 ,第一 ,企业运用特有的R&D能力进行创新产品的开发是决定企业创新绩效的重要源泉 ;第二 ,企业R&D能力与企业市场竞争地位之间存在着正相关关系 ;第三 ,我国工业企业在R&D方面普遍存在能力不足 ,有很大的能力差距空间需要去弥补。最后提出了企业增强R&D能力可采取的措施。     

Business Group Affiliation and R&D

This paper analyzes whether belonging to a business group enhances firms' propensity for and intensity of R&D based on the greater opportunities to finance and co-ordinate R&D strategies and internalize knowledge spillovers. Compared with the existing literature, this paper has the following novelties: (a) it examines how the organization and diversification of business groups influence the R&D investment of affiliated firms; (b) it analyzes the role of R&D spillovers among affiliated firms; and (c) it distinguishes between propensity for and intensity of R&D. We find that less diversified groups are more likely to centralize R&D, while in more diversified groups firms are more likely to be autonomous. We find that controlled companies are more likely to benefit from knowledge spillovers than firms at the head of the group. Finally, we find that R&D autonomy is significantly associated with both a higher propensity for and intensity of R&D in controlled companies.     

Safety improvements through Intelligent Transport Systems: a South African case study based on microscopic simulation modelling

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) can facilitate the delivery of a wide range of policy objectives. There are six main objectives/benefits identified in the international literature: Safety (reduction of (potential) crashes), mobility (reduction of delays and travel times), efficiency (optimise the use of existing infrastructure), productivity (cost saving), energy/environment and customer satisfaction [Mitretek Systems, 2001. Intelligent Transport System Benefits: 2001 update, Under Contract to the Federal Highway Administration, US Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, US]. In the South African context, there is an interest for measures that can reduce (potential) crashes. In South Africa the number of year on year traffic related fatalities is still increasing. In 2005 the number of fatalities was 15393 (from 14135 in 2004) while the estimated costs for the same period increased from R8.89-billion to R9.99-billion [RTMC, 2007. Interim Road Traffic and Fatal Crash Report 2006, Road Traffic Management Corporation, Pretoria, SA]. Given the extent of the road safety problem and the potential benefits of ITS, the need for further research is apparent. A study with regards to the potential of different types of models (macroscopic, mesoscopic and miscroscopic simulation models) led to the use of Paramics. Two corridors and three types of ITS measures were investigated and safety benefits were estimated.     

Intangible investments and innovation propensity: Evidence from the Innobarometer 2013

This paper investigates the innovation impact of intangible investments. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, we argue that through intangible investments, companies acquire knowledge assets that increase their innovativeness. However, a greater innovation impact is expected from investing more in technological intangibles rather than in intangibles overall, and a greater one from using internal versus external resources. Through a new survey on a large sample of firms in 36 countries, accounting for different intangibles and addressing their endogeneity through proper instruments, these hypotheses are partially confirmed. Developing intangibles internally is actually the most innovation-impacting aspect, but not in manufacturing. Instead, by controlling for this choice and for that of investing in technological intangibles, the intensity of intangible resources is significant for innovation in manufacturing only. Policy/strategic implications about the need of readdressing the boost to intangible investments for the sake of innovation in Europe are drawn accordingly.     

以过程管理提高研发生产率

时至今日,仍有许多研发项目不能满足目标成本,时间或质量的要求。问题的原因在于对研发过程的管理有欠缺。过程管理意味着,满足顾客要求,实现面向目标的控制,连续改进,如果有必要则进行彻底的更新。本文对如何设计和管理研发过程从而满足项目目标并达到更高的研发生产率进行了描述。     

Technology and growth in Spain (1950–1960): An evidence of Schumpeterian pattern of innovation based on patents

The analysis of the structural changes in the Spanish economy (1950–1960) has been undertaken using Schumpeterian models of innovation. As patent information plays an important role in technological development, this study has been based on the availability of a newly released data from the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office. This analysis has been specified by means of the development of indicators relating to the degree of concentration of innovative activity, the innovation size of companies, the level of instability, the technological growth rate, and the presence of foreign innovators. The results highlight the existence of typical technological factors intrinsic to the sectors of economic activity and invariants between countries.     

Is there a fallacy of composition of external R&D? An empirical assessment of the impact of quasi-internal,external and offshored R&D

Empirical studies at the individual firm level often find a positive impact of external R&D on innovation. However, external R&D sourcing might produce an impoverishment of the local knowledge base and thus damage innovation production at the regional level. To address this possible fallacy of composition, we first review the various forms of ‘external’ R&D. We then use the French R&D survey to assess the impact of four different ways of transacting or collaborating on R&D: onshore affiliate external R&D, offshore affiliate external R&D, onshore non-affiliate and offshore non-affiliate external R&D. We then estimate knowledge production functions on the 94 metropolitan French NUTS3 regions observed between 1997 and 2008, differentiating internal R&D and these categories of external R&D. We obtain that the impact of onshore non-affiliate external R&D is significantly negative. The other external R&D categories are non-significant and we do not detect any complementarity between internal and external R&D.     

The effect of changes in condom usage and antiretroviral treatment coverage on human immunodeficiency virus incidence in South Africa: a model-based analysis

This study aims to assess trends in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence in South Africa, and to assess the extent to which prevention and treatment programmes have reduced HIV incidence. Two models of the South African HIV epidemic, the STI (sexually transmitted infection)–HIV Interaction model and the ASSA2003 AIDS and Demographic model, were adapted. Both models were fitted to age-specific HIV prevalence data from antenatal clinic surveys and household surveys, using a Bayesian approach. Both models suggest that HIV incidence in 15–49 year olds declined significantly between the start of 2000 and the start of 2008: by 27 per cent (95% CI: 21–32%) in the STI–HIV model and by 31 per cent (95% CI: 23–39%) in the ASSA2003 model, when expressed as a percentage of incidence rates in 2000. By 2008, the percentage reduction in incidence owing to increased condom use was 37 per cent (95% CI: 34–41%) in the STI–HIV model and 23 per cent (95% CI: 14–34%) in the ASSA2003 model. Both models also estimated a small reduction in incidence owing to antiretroviral treatment by 2008. Increased condom use therefore appears to be the most significant factor explaining the recent South African HIV incidence decline.