Eco-innovation and R&D Outsourcing

17.05.2022 12:15 – 13:30

GENEVA TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP / ABSTRACT

jointly with Liza Jabbour and Zuokuan Zhou

Abstract:

In this paper we examine how the decision of French manufacturing firms tooutsource some of their R&D impacts their local investment in environmentalor eco-innovation. More specifically, we estimate the impact of foreign anddomestic outsourcing on the extent of a firm's investment in eco-innovation andwhether the decision is affected by regulatory stringency. Estimating a Tobitrandom effects model on a panel of R&D active French manufacturing firmsour results show that firms that outsource R&D to foreign partnersincreases their investment in eco‑innovation by around five percent althoughR&D outsourcing to domestic partners had no significant impact. In terms ofpolicy, we find that regulatory instruments also promote a firm'seco-innovation expenditure.

Short biography:

Robert Elliott is Professor ofInternational Economics at the University of Birmingham. He works at theintersection of international economics, development economics, environmentaland energy economics, and international business. He has a particular interestin the Chinese economy, firm behaviour, natural disasters, and the impact ofglobalisation on the environment. He is an editor for the Sustainable FuturePolicy Lab, a Director of the Trade, Environment, Development and Energy (TEDE)research group, a Co-I on ReLIB as part of the Faraday Institute, a member ofWater Challenges in a Changing World IGI, and an Affiliate of the Lloyds BankCentre for Responsible Business. Professor Robert Elliott is also a part of theBirmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of more than 40academics working together to address the global plastics problem. Please see: https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/persons/rob-elliott.

Lieu

Bâtiment: IHEID

Graduate Institute
Maison de la Paix
Petal 1, Room S5
2 Chemin Eugène-Rigot
1202 Geneva

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