R&D, innovation, and technological progress: a test of the schumpeterian framework without scale effects

Abstract

I use U.S. manufacturing industry data to estimate a system of three equations implied by a model of R&D-induced growth in steady state. These three equations relate R&D intensity to patenting, patenting to technological progress, and technological progress to economic growth. In each case, I find evidence of positive impact. Thus, I reject the null hypothesis that growth is not induced by R&D in favor of the Schumpeterian endogenous growth framework without scale effects. I also find strong support for technological spillovers from aggregate research intensity to industry-level innovation success.