What determines technology diffusion across frontiers? R&D content, human capital and institutions
Ημερομηνία
2015Source
Economics BulletinVolume
35Issue
2Pages
856-870Google Scholar check
Metadata
Εμφάνιση πλήρους εγγραφήςΕπιτομή
This paper examines the determinants of international technology diffusion across a sample of 127 countries for the
period 1961-2011. We measure technology diffusion by the importation of two capital goods categories that embody
different R&D content: computers and metalworking machinery. We find that economic institutions and political
institutions have a large and significant effect on computer imports (that embody a higher R&D content) but not for
less technologically-intensive types of capital goods such as metalworking machinery. The role of institutions is
mirrored by that of human capital. Together, these results highlight the role of institutions and human capital in
facilitating embodied technology diffusion through capital goods imports, more than mere capital accumulation.