The Optimal Structure of Technology Adoption and Creation: Basic Research vs. Development in the Presence of Distance to Frontier
Ha, Joonkyung; Kim, Yong Jin; Lee, Jong-Wha | June 2009
Abstract
This paper presents a theoretical model and empirical evidence to explain the observation that a country in which the level of technology approaches the technology frontier tends to rely more on technology creation than adoption, and to invest more in basic research than in development. The model shows that technology creation involves both basic and development research processes while technology adoption uses only the latter process. Thus, research and development (R&D) investment in our model involves three different processes: basic research in technology creation, development in technology creation, and development in technology adoption. The results suggest first, that the rate of growth is positively correlated with the level of basic research activities in the technology creation sector, if one country's technology gap with the technology frontier is small enough. Second, an increase in the efficiency of the education system for highly skilled workers raises the level of basic research and the rate of growth. Third, verifying these theoretical results, empirical analyses using panel data of Japan; Republic of Korea; and Taipei,China show that the narrower the technological distance to the frontier, the higher the growth effect of basic R&D, indicating that the share of basic R&D matters for economic growth. Last, these also show that the quality of tertiary education has a significantly positive effect on the productivity of R&D.
Citation
Ha, Joonkyung; Kim, Yong Jin; Lee, Jong-Wha. 2009. The Optimal Structure of Technology Adoption and Creation: Basic Research vs. Development in the Presence of Distance to Frontier. © Asian Development Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/2566. License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.Keywords
Asian Development Bank
Development
Trade
Development Goals
Skills Development
Sustainable Development
Trade Flows
Trade And Development
Food Security And Trade
Trade Volume
Trade Potential
Trade Flows
External Trade
Industrial policy
New technology
Innovations
Industry
Export policy
Import policy
Development assistance
ADB
Curriculum development
Development assistance
Development aid
Development indicators
Development potential
Development models
Project appraisal
Performance appraisal
Regional development bank
Trade development
Import volume
Export volume
Capital
Business
Communication in rural development
Social participation
Occupational training
Partnership
Joint venture
System analysis
Labor and globalization
Labor policy
Regional trading blocs
Foreign trade and employment
Developing countries
Industrial priorities
Technological innovation
Technology transfer
Foreign trade regulation
Industrial relations
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