International Technology Spillovers And Innovation

To deeply understand technology progess, economic growth and economic structure envolvement, we should discern the process of knowledge production. The process of knowledge production is so complicated that it's hard to explain in words of one syllable. In economics, knowledge production is often abstracted and simplified for the convenience of research. At the end of 20th century, international technology spillovers had became an important means of knowledge production along with the integration of world economy. Technology spillovers are closely ralated to the non-exclusive nature of technology. There's evidence show that in the OECD countries (USA is the exception), foreign R&D activities (but not inner R&D activities) are the main cause of productivity growth. Presently, world innovation activities are concentrated in a few developed countries. Technology spillovers are very essential for most developed countries. For developing countries which are lagged behind in both technology and R&D investment, technology spillovers are more important.There are a lot of disagreements about international technology spillovers. The evidence of China may be helpful for appeasing the disputes.Based on endogenous economic growth theory, the thesis expatiates theory backgrounds and determinants of international technology spillovers. The three channels of international technology spillovers concerned here are imported trade, foreign direct investment and foreign patent applications. The extent of spillovers may be different in different countries or at different stages of a country. The thesis provides fundmental theory for the empirical research. Abundant and meaningful conclusions are got from empirical research: (1) Imported goods, especially capital goods, have generated positive effects. The basic idea is that imported goods increase the knowledge stock and the knowledge production may increase; (2) Positive spillover effects of FDI have been found. Significant inter-industry spillover effects haven't been found. FDI has significant positive effects to lower level innovations and hasn't significant effects to higher level innovation; (3) Foreign patent applications have hampered the self-innovations of our country. It shows that competition effects and technology monopoly effects outweigh spillover effects which foreign patent applications have generated. Inner enterprises have to strive to compete with foreign enterprises for breaking monopoly of foreign patents; (4) R&D investments of enterprises are the sources of self-innovation. However, R&D investments are insufficient in the enterprises. Enterprises are lack of innovation motivations; (5) Acquisition of technology spillovers and self-innovation are improved each other. Re-innovation based on technology spillovers is an important way of self-innovation.