Abstract:
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Using a database of 2,263 responses to R&D public calls in Catalonia, during the
period 2007–2010, this paper proceeds to analyse the potential interaction of the
territorial and policy dimensions with the propensity to apply for, and be awarded, a
public R&D subsidy. Controlling for characteristics at the firm and project level, we
estimate models using a two-step procedure. In the first step, our results suggest that
large firms which export and which belong to high-tech manufactures are more likely
to participate in a public R&D call. Furthermore, both urban location and past
experience of such calls have a positive effect. Our territorial proxy of information
spillovers shows a positive sign, but this is only significant at intra-industry level.
Membership of one of the sectors prioritized by the Catalan government, perhaps
surprisingly, does not have a significant impact. In the second step, our results show
that cooperative projects, SMEs or old firms shows a positive effect on the
probability of obtaining a public subsidy. Finally, the cluster policy does not show a
clear relationship with the public R&D call, suggesting that cluster policies and R&D
subsidies follow different goals. Our results are in line with previous results in the
literature, but they highlight the unequal territorial distribution of the firms which
apply and the fact that policymakers should interlink the decision criteria for their
public call with other policies.
Keywords: Evaluation, R&D policies, territorial approach, clusters
JEL Classifications: L53, L25, O38 |