Cette thèse se situe dans le cadre théorique de l'économie industrielle appliquée à l'analyse de l'innovation technologique. Elle a pour objet principal d'évaluer les effets de la politique des pôles de compétitivité sur les incitations à innover des firmes. Il s'agit en particulier de comprendre les mécanismes informationnels par lesquels ce nouveau dispositif impacte les niveaux d'investissement en recherche et développement des firmes et leurs activités. Le premier chapitre présente le cadre général de la thèse. Il explicite les éléments de théorie économique qui sous-tendent l'émergence des clusters de recherche et de développement. Le deuxième chapitre, première contribution théorique de la thèse, analyse les effets des pôles sur les niveaux d'efforts R&D de firmes qui sont en coopération au stade de la R&D mais qui sont en compétition à la Cournot sur le marché de produit. Le troisième chapitre et deuxième contribution théorique, s'intéresse aux effets des pôles dans le cadre de relations verticales de type fournisseur-clients de technologies. Le quatrième chapitre a pour but de trouver des illustrations ou des correspondances de nos résultats théoriques à travers les informations recueillies sur le terrain auprès des acteurs des pôles de compétitivité, en l'occurrence le pôle Minalogic situé à Grenoble en Isère. / The theoretical framework of this thesis is the industrial economics applied to the analysis of technological innovation. Its main purpose is to assess the effects of competitiveness clusters policy on the incentives of firms to innovate. In particular, it aims to understand the informational mechanisms by which this new industrial policy impacts the levels of R&D investment of firms and their activities. The first chapter presents the general framework of the thesis and explains the elements of economic theory underlying the emergence of R&D based-clusters. The second chapter, our first theoretical contribution, analyzes the effects of clusters on R&D investments of firms which cooperate at the R&D stage and compete a la Cournot on product market in a two-stage game. The third chapter, our second theoretical contribution, focuses on the effects of the cluster in vertical relationship between a supplier of technology and integrators. The fourth chapter is intended to and illustrations for the theoretical results through informations gathered from actors of competitiveness clusters, specially in the case of Minalogic at Grenoble (Isere France).

O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar como fatores territoriais influenciam a capacidade de inovação das empresas brasileiras. Em especial, analisa-se como os transbordamentos de conhecimentos, a aglomeração urbana e econômica, o capital humano e a estrutura produtiva local afetam o grau de novidade da inovação que é introduzida pelas empresas no Brasil. Diferencia-se o grau de novidade da inovação por empresas que não geraram inovações, empresas que introduziram inovações para a firma, para o mercado nacional e para o mundo. A discussão sobre o território e a inovação até a década de 90 esteve bastante concentrada nos países desenvolvidos. Entretanto, nas últimas décadas atenção também tem sido dada a países em desenvolvimento. No Brasil, os estudos sobre o tema têm sido direcionados a compreender como as atividades inovativas estão distribuídas nas regiões, sua heterogeneidade e quais fatores podem influenciar essa distribuição. No entanto, estudos que relacionem diretamente a inovação no nível da firma e a geografia ainda são escassos. É essa lacuna que o presente trabalho procura preencher, ao observar diretamente o efeito dos fatores sobre o grau de novidade da inovação que as empresas brasileiras introduzem, utilizando os microdados da PINTEC. Para isso, foi realizada a estimação de um modelo econométrico, baseado na Função de Produção do Conhecimento que permitiu avaliar a relação entre o grau de novidade da inovação e fatores selecionados em dois níveis, o da firma e o do território. Os resultados mostram que os fatores territoriais geram diferenciais inovativos as empresas, mesmo em países em desenvolvimento, como o Brasil, em que a maior parte da inovação gerada é nova para a firma. Em particular, a aglomeração econômica e o capital humano local apresentam um papel importante para se chegar à inovação de mais alto grau de novidade, como para o mundo. Ou seja, empresas localizadas em regiões mais aglomeradas economicamente e com maior participação da mão de obra empregada qualificada tendem a introduzir inovações com mais alto grau de novidade, especialmente inovações para o mercado nacional. Ao mesmo tempo, variáveis no nível da firma, como os gastos em atividades de inovação, o tamanho da firma e a sua produtividade, impactam positivamente a capacidade de inovação das empresas. Além disso, firmas que colaboram com outros agentes ou possuem capital estrangeiro tendem a introduzir inovações com mais ato grau de novidade. Por fim, o grau de novidade da inovação das empresas que recebem financiamento público como fonte de dispêndios inovativos tende a ser mais alto do que de empresas que não recebem financiamento público. / The aim of this study is to assess how territorial factors affect innovation of Brazilian firms. In particular, it analyses how knowledge spillovers, agglomeration, human capital, and the local productive structure affect the degree of novelty of innovation. The degree of novelty of innovation is distinguished by whether firms did not innovate and whether firms had been able to introduce innovations that were new for the firm, new for the domestic market and new to the world. Until the 1990s, debate on territory and innovation has been focused on developed countries. However, recently increasing attention has been given to developing countries. In Brazil, previous studies have been directed to understand how innovation is distributes among regions, their heterogeneity and which factors can affect their distribution. However, studies that directly relate firm-level innovations and geography are still scant. This work addresses this gap by applying a Knowledge Production Function (KPF) to examine how firm-level and regional-level factors affect the degree of novelty of innovation in Brazil, using PINTEC microdata. Results show that territorial factors play an important role on innovation, even in developing countries as Brazil, which innovations tend to be mostly new for the firm. This indicates that firms located in places with higher agglomeration of economic activities and higher concentration of human capital tend to introduce higher degree of novelty innovations, especially innovations as to the domestic market. That means that firms in economic clustered regions, and with higher share of qualified labor force are able to generate innovation with higher degree of novelty, as to the world. At the firm-level, R&D efforts, firms\' size and firms\' productivity are positively associated with the degree of novelty of innovations. In addition, firms that collaborate with partners or with foreign ownership tend to introduce innovation with higher degree of novelty. Finally, public finance for innovation is also a factor that stimulates firms to introduce innovations with higher degree of novelty, in comparison with no public finance.

O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar como fatores territoriais influenciam a capacidade de inovação das empresas brasileiras. Em especial, analisa-se como os transbordamentos de conhecimentos, a aglomeração urbana e econômica, o capital humano e a estrutura produtiva local afetam o grau de novidade da inovação que é introduzida pelas empresas no Brasil. Diferencia-se o grau de novidade da inovação por empresas que não geraram inovações, empresas que introduziram inovações para a firma, para o mercado nacional e para o mundo. A discussão sobre o território e a inovação até a década de 90 esteve bastante concentrada nos países desenvolvidos. Entretanto, nas últimas décadas atenção também tem sido dada a países em desenvolvimento. No Brasil, os estudos sobre o tema têm sido direcionados a compreender como as atividades inovativas estão distribuídas nas regiões, sua heterogeneidade e quais fatores podem influenciar essa distribuição. No entanto, estudos que relacionem diretamente a inovação no nível da firma e a geografia ainda são escassos. É essa lacuna que o presente trabalho procura preencher, ao observar diretamente o efeito dos fatores sobre o grau de novidade da inovação que as empresas brasileiras introduzem, utilizando os microdados da PINTEC. Para isso, foi realizada a estimação de um modelo econométrico, baseado na Função de Produção do Conhecimento que permitiu avaliar a relação entre o grau de novidade da inovação e fatores selecionados em dois níveis, o da firma e o do território. Os resultados mostram que os fatores territoriais geram diferenciais inovativos as empresas, mesmo em países em desenvolvimento, como o Brasil, em que a maior parte da inovação gerada é nova para a firma. Em particular, a aglomeração econômica e o capital humano local apresentam um papel importante para se chegar à inovação de mais alto grau de novidade, como para o mundo. Ou seja, empresas localizadas em regiões mais aglomeradas economicamente e com maior participação da mão de obra empregada qualificada tendem a introduzir inovações com mais alto grau de novidade, especialmente inovações para o mercado nacional. Ao mesmo tempo, variáveis no nível da firma, como os gastos em atividades de inovação, o tamanho da firma e a sua produtividade, impactam positivamente a capacidade de inovação das empresas. Além disso, firmas que colaboram com outros agentes ou possuem capital estrangeiro tendem a introduzir inovações com mais ato grau de novidade. Por fim, o grau de novidade da inovação das empresas que recebem financiamento público como fonte de dispêndios inovativos tende a ser mais alto do que de empresas que não recebem financiamento público. / The aim of this study is to assess how territorial factors affect innovation of Brazilian firms. In particular, it analyses how knowledge spillovers, agglomeration, human capital, and the local productive structure affect the degree of novelty of innovation. The degree of novelty of innovation is distinguished by whether firms did not innovate and whether firms had been able to introduce innovations that were new for the firm, new for the domestic market and new to the world. Until the 1990s, debate on territory and innovation has been focused on developed countries. However, recently increasing attention has been given to developing countries. In Brazil, previous studies have been directed to understand how innovation is distributes among regions, their heterogeneity and which factors can affect their distribution. However, studies that directly relate firm-level innovations and geography are still scant. This work addresses this gap by applying a Knowledge Production Function (KPF) to examine how firm-level and regional-level factors affect the degree of novelty of innovation in Brazil, using PINTEC microdata. Results show that territorial factors play an important role on innovation, even in developing countries as Brazil, which innovations tend to be mostly new for the firm. This indicates that firms located in places with higher agglomeration of economic activities and higher concentration of human capital tend to introduce higher degree of novelty innovations, especially innovations as to the domestic market. That means that firms in economic clustered regions, and with higher share of qualified labor force are able to generate innovation with higher degree of novelty, as to the world. At the firm-level, R&D efforts, firms\' size and firms\' productivity are positively associated with the degree of novelty of innovations. In addition, firms that collaborate with partners or with foreign ownership tend to introduce innovation with higher degree of novelty. Finally, public finance for innovation is also a factor that stimulates firms to introduce innovations with higher degree of novelty, in comparison with no public finance.

This doctoral dissertation studies the effect of economic integration on the performance of firms. The ongoing process of global economic integration has been characterized by dismantling of trade barriers and openness to foreign direct investments (FDI). These changes have not only brought opportunities to firms in terms of market access and the possibility to learn about foreign technologies brought in by foreign counterparts. The new economic environment has also posed new challenges through a greater competitive pressure urging firms to continuously align their production patterns to more efficient business practices. The agility of firms to adjust to external shocks, and hence the potential of countries to benefit from economic integration, does presumably not only depend on the internal assets of firms but may also be influenced by government policies and national institutional settings. This conceptual background constitutes the storyline of the doctoral dissertation.<p><p>Chapter 1 of the dissertation is a step forward in understanding the externalities of foreign direct investments on the economic performance of domestic firms. During the late eighties and early nineties, Spain saw an upswing in foreign direct investments that placed the economic at the top of FDI recipients in Europe. To provide fresh insights into the firm-levels responses to FDI, Chapter 1 investigates the effects of foreign direct investment on the productivity of domestic firms within the same sector of activity as foreign firms, and whether FDI externalities differed depending on their level of technology. The empirical results show that foreign presence had an overall positive effect on the productivity growth of domestic firms. The gains were not, however, evenly distributed across firms. Firms closer to the frontier benefited more from FDI than firms far from the technology frontier. <p><p>A further integration of the world economy with new economic actors, like China and India, has highlighted the need for European firms to climb the quality ladder and shift towards high value added products and greater flexibility in delivering new products in order to survive new competitive threats. Chapter 2 is a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of innovation for the export activities of firms. The intuition is that firms through innovation enhance their access to foreign markets by improving cost competitiveness and the quality of products. The Chapter builds on previous literature to develop a trade model in which firms differ in their propensity to innovate and export based on their underlying productivity. The empirical results, in line with the theoretical model, suggest a positive effect of innovation on the probability of participation in export markets.<p><p>The innovative activities of firms may not only depend on their internal assets, but presumably also on their relations with other actors in the national innovation systems. To understand better the role of firms’ relations with the science sector, Chapter 3 turns to one of the major producers of knowledge –universities- and investigates the factors that contribute to the successful transfer of knowledge from universities to the market. The results from Chapter 3 show that universities with established technology transfer policies, procedures, and large and experienced technology transfer offices perform better. <p><p>Previous chapters demonstrate that innovation gives a competitive edge to firms exploring foreign markets. Chapter 4, which is joint work with economists from France’s central bank, investigates how credit market imperfections affect the expansion and survival of firms in foreign markets, which is essential for the design of policies stimulating aggregate trade and competitiveness. Chapter 4 develops a theoretical model to study the impact of credit constraints on the number of newly served export destinations by firms and their exits from the export market and tests it using French firm-level data. The results show that credit constraints negatively affect the number of newly created export relations and have a negative effect on the probability of exit from the export market.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Universities around the world are increasingly engaging in activities of technology transfer, intensifying knowledge flows of academic-based research to firms. It is expected that these institutions play an active role in the development of the local economy. In fact, there was a sharp rise in patenting activities by universities over the last years. Moreover, universities have used different mechanisms to support university-industry technology transfer, as for example the implementation of regulatory frameworks and the creation of internal organizations aimed at facilitating interactions with firms. Although prior studies have comprehensively increased our understanding of the ways in which academic knowledge is disseminated, several important questions remain open. In this sense, the purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how university technologies are disseminated to firms, also examining the relationship between idiosyncratic attributes of universities, their regional context and university-industry technology transfer. The essays in this dissertation build on the knowledge spillover and technology transfer literatures, addressing different dimensions of the diffusion of academic knowledge. The dissertation consists of a general introduction, three essays, and a conclusion. The first essay relies on US patent databases, whereas the second and third use data in the context of Brazilian universities. Each essay, from a different perspective, explores dimensions that have not yet been addressed by prior literature. Investigating the dissemination patterns of technological knowledge embedded in university inventions is critical to understanding how and under circumstances scientific research disseminates and is deployed by firms. Along this line, this dissertation contributes to the field of innovation and technology management in several ways. / Universidades ao redor do mundo estão cada vez mais envolvidas em atividades de transferência de tecnologia, intensificando os fluxos de conhecimento da pesquisa acadêmica para empresas. Espera-se que essas instituições desempenhem um papel ativo no desenvolvimento da economia local. De fato, houve um crescimento significativo nas atividades de patenteamento por parte de universidades nos últimos anos. Além disso, as universidades têm utilizado diversos mecanismos para apoiar atividades de transferência de tecnologia, tais como a implementação de regulamentações e a criação de organizações internas destinadas a facilitar as interações com empresas. Embora estudos passados tenham ampliado de forma abrangente a nossa compreensão sobre a disseminação do conhecimento acadêmico, várias questões fundamentais permanecem em aberto. Desse modo, o objetivo desta tese é investigar como tecnologias acadêmicas são disseminadas para empresas, examinando também a relação entre atributos idiossincráticos das universidades, seu contexto regional e atividades de transferência de tecnologia. Os capítulos que seguem se baseiam nas literaturas de spillovers de conhecimento e transferência de tecnologia, abordando diferentes dimensões da difusão do conhecimento acadêmico. Esta tese consiste em uma introdução geral, três capítulos e uma conclusão. O primeiro capítulo baseia-se em dados de bases de patentes americanas, enquanto o segundo e terceiro usam dados no contexto de universidades brasileiras. Cada capítulo, de uma perspectiva diferente, explora dimensões que ainda não foram abordadas pela literatura. A investigação dos padrões de disseminação do conhecimento tecnológico embutido em invenções acadêmicas é fundamental para o entendimento de como e sob quais circunstâncias a pesquisa científica é disseminada e utilizada por empresas. Desse modo, esta tese contribui para o campo da inovação e gestão da tecnologia de diversas maneiras.

La prima parte della Tesi si occupa dello studio delle strategie di investimento ottime nel settore energetico e in ricerca e sviluppo, nell'ambito di politiche di stabilizzazione dei gas serra nell'atmosfera. La seconda parte tratta invece metodi per la quantificazione degli impatti economici dei cambiamenti climatici sul settore agricolo, considerando tutte le possibilità di adattamento. / The first part of the Thesis discusses optimal investment strategies in the energy sector and in R&D for knowledge advancements to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of GHG. The second part deals instead with the measurement of impacts of climate change on agriculture considering all possible adaptation options.

Στην παρούσα διατριβή αναπτύσσεται ένα ολοκληρωμένο μεθοδολογικό πλαίσιο για την ανάλυση της παραγωγικής αποτελεσματικότητας επιχειρήσεων που λειτουργούν σε περιβάλλον πολλαπλής τεχνολογικής ετερογένειας. Με βάση την έννοια των μετα-μεταορίων, ορίζονται μέτρα αποτελεσματικότητας και τεχνολογικών χασμάτων σε κάθε επίπεδο τεχνολογικής ετερογένειας, τα οποία, σε ένα δεύτερο στάδιο, «αποδομούνται» σε παράγοντες σταθερούς ως προς τις εισροές και παράγοντες σταθερούς ως προς τις εκροές. Η προτεινόμενη μεθοδολογία χρησιμοποιείται για την διερεύνηση της παραγωγικής αποτελεσματικότητας των ευρωπαϊκών τραπεζικών επιχειρήσεων, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη πιθανή τεχνολογική ετερογένεια που οφείλεται στα ιδιαίτερα χαρακτηριστικά (i) των εθνικών τραπεζικών συστημάτων και (ii) των τραπεζικών τύπων ειδίκευσης. Οι επιδράσεις των εν λόγω πηγών τεχνολογικής ετερογένειας στην τραπεζική αποτελεσματικότητα εξετάζονται ξεχωριστά, σε ένα πλαίσιο ανάλυσης τεχνολογικής ετερογένειας ενός επιπέδου, και συνδυαστικά, σε ένα πλαίσιο ανάλυσης ιεραρχημένης τεχνολογικής ετερογένειας δύο επιπέδων. Τα αποτελέσματα της σχετικής εμπειρικής ανάλυσης ερμηνεύονται με βάση την «θεωρία της γνώσης», δίνοντας ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στον ρόλο της διάχυσης της γνώσης, της ικανότητας απορρόφησης και του στρατηγικού προσανατολισμού των ευρωπαϊκών τραπεζικών επιχειρήσεων. / In the context of the present thesis, a methodological framework is developed for analysing the productive efficiency of firms that operate in a multilevel technologically heterogeneous environment. Based on the meta-metafrontier notion, efficiency and technology gaps measures are defined at each level of technology heterogeneity and are decomposed into input- and output-invariant components. The proposed methodology is used for the investigation of productive efficiency of European banking firms, taking into account potential technology heterogeneity due to the particular characteristics of (i) the national banking systems and (ii) the specialization types of banking firms. The effects of the aforementioned heterogeneity sources on bank efficiency are examined separately, in a single-level technology heterogeneity framework, and simultaneously, in a hierarchical technology heterogeneity framework of two levels. The results of the relevant empirical analysis are interpreted using the “knowledge-based theory”, emphasising on the role of knowledge spillovers, the banking firms’ absorptive capacity and strategic orientation.

Cette thèse s'articule autour de deux thèmes : l'évaluation monétaire des biens environnementaux et l'innovation en environnement. Si ces deux volets sont traités séparément, ils s'attachent toutefois à contribuer à un objectif commun : la lutte contre le changement climatique. Cette thèse se décline en cinq chapitres. Le premier propose une introduction générale, qui présente les deux thèmes développés, ainsi que leur contribution au défi du changement climatique. En attribuant une valeur pécuniaire aux biens environnementaux, l'évaluation monétaire peut servir la décision publique, non seulement lors de la mise en œuvre de projets pro-environnementaux, mais aussi en aidant é évaluer les dommages causés à l'environnement. L'innovation environnementale peut encourager les transferts de technologies et une croissance plus verte, dans une volonté de développement durable. Les chapitres 2 et 3 s'intéressent aux expériences de choix, en vue d'évaluer le consentement-à-payer pour l'amélioration de la qualité de l'eau de rivières. A partir d'une enquête proposant aux résidents de choisir entre différentes options de gestion pour les rivières de leur voisinage, nous montrons dans le chapitre 2 que ces derniers sont disposés à payer pour une meilleure qualité de l'eau. Nous nous apercevons toutefois que plus de 20% des individus de notre échantillon adoptent un comportement de protestation, c'est-à-dire déclarent un consentement-à-payer nul alors même que leur valeur pour l'eau des rivières est positive. Dans le chapitre 3, nous recourons à un modèle logit emboîté, afin de prendre en compte ce type de comportement. Nous obtenons des consentements-à-payer plus élevés, signe que le modèle utilisé est mieux adapté pour traiter des données comportant des zéros de protestation. Les chapitres 4 et 5 étudient les déterminants de l'innovation en environnement. A partir de données sur les dépôts de brevets et de l'enquête d'opinion du forum économique mondial, le chapitre 4 s'intéresse à l'impact de politiques publiques sur l'innovation en matière de technologies propres dans les domaines de l'eau, de l'air et des déchets. Notre analyse met en évidence le rôle positif sur l'innovation en environnement de la capacité d'innovation globale d'un pays et de la rigueur de ses politiques environnementales. Le chapitre 5 étudie l'influence des collaborations pour la publication d'articles scientifiques sur l'innovation en matière d'énergie éolienne. Nous couplons notre base de données sur les brevets avec une base rassemblant de nombreuses références littéraires dans le domaine de la recherche scientifique. Nous montrons que les transferts de connaissance entre les pays membres et non membres de l'OCDE dans le domaine éolien contribuent à améliorer la capacité d'innovation des pays non membres de l'OCDE. / This dissertation is interested in two areas of the environmental economics field: monetary valuation of environmental goods and services and environmental innovation. Even if those two fields are studied separately in this dissertation, they both aim at contributing to a common objective: fight against climate change. This dissertation ranges into five chapters. The first one is a general introduction, which depicts the two fields of the dissertation and their relevance towards climate change. Environmental valuation serves public decision through monetary valuation of environmental goods. This is useful not only for the implementation of projects directed to environmental protection, but also for the quantification of environmental damages. Environmental innovation may encourage technological transfers, but also a greener growth, in a will that our societies develop themselves following a sustainable path. Chapters 2 and 3 are interested in the choice experiments method in order to value local residents’ willingness-to-pay for water quality improvements at a specific river basin in France. Using a choice experiment with different management regimes for the river basin, we find that residents are willing-to-pay for an improved water quality. Despite this positive result, we observe a significant proportion (20%) of protest bids in our sample. Protest bids are respondents that state a zero willingness-to-pay, even though their true value for the good is positive. In order to take into account the existence of protest bids, we estimate a cross-nested logit model in chapter 3. We then obtain larger willingness-to-pay, which proves that the cross-nested logit model best fits the peculiarity of our data. Chapters 4 and 5 try to identify the drivers of environmental innovation. Using world patent data and data from the world economic forum survey, we study the impact of environmental public policies on innovation in clean technologies directed to water and air pollution, and waste. We find that both general innovative capacity and environmental policy stringency have a positive role on environment-related innovation. Chapter 5 looks at the influence of co-authorship of scientific publications on wind energy-related innovation. We use both the world patent database and the “Scopus” database, which contains lots of scientific literature references. We highlight the existence of knowledge spillovers between OECD and NON-OECD countries. Therefore, we show that knowledge transfers, regarding wind energy-related innovation, between OECD and NON-OECD countries contribute to improve NON-OECD countries' innovative capacity.