Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Arias Ortiz, Elena
Author-Email: eariasortiz@iadb.org
Author-Workplace-Name: Education Division, Inter-American Development Bank
Author-Name: Crespi, Gustavo 
Author-Email: gcrespi@iadb.org
Author-Workplace-Name: Competitiveness and Innovation Division,
	 Inter-American Development Bank 
Author-Name: Tacsir, Ezequiel
Author-Email: tacsir@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT / MGSoG, and Competitiveness and Innovation Division,
	 Inter-American Development Bank
Author-Name: Vargas, Fernando
Author-Email: fvargas@iadb.org
Author-Workplace-Name: Competitiveness and Innovation Division,
	 Inter-American Development Bank
Author-Name: Zuniga, Pluvia
Author-Email: zuniga@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT / MGSoG
Title: Innovation for economic performance: The case of Latin American firms 
Abstract: In this paper, a wide range of innovation indicators are analysed in 
	 order to describe the innovation behaviour of manufacturing firms in LAC 
	 using the recently released Enterprise Surveys 2010. The Enterprise 
	 Surveys define innovation rates as the share of firms introducing 
	 product and process innovations. The survey also measures the proportion 
	 of firms investing in research and development (R&D) and filing for 
	 intellectual property rights (IPRs). The aim of this note is to 
	 understand the main characteristics of innovative firms and to gather 
	 new evidence with regard to the nature of the innovation process in the 
	 region. Statistics about the performance of LAC firms are provided using 
	 different types of indicators to measure firms' innovative behaviour. In 
	 particular, differences in innovation performance and effort by country, 
	 sector, and key firm characteristics, such as being a multinational or 
	 exporter, are explored. Those firms in LAC that are top R&D performers 
	 are identified, and the analysis closes with an exploration of firm 
	 characteristics that strongly correlate with the probability of being a 
	 top R&D performer in the region.  
Classification-JEL: D22, O31, O33, O34
Keywords: innovation, research and development, Latin America, enterprise surveys
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 2013
Number: 028
File-URL: http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2013/wp2013-028.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2013028