On the global supply of basic research


Date

2013-02

Publication Type

Working Paper

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

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Data

Abstract

In this paper we study the incentives for basic-research investments by governments in a globalized world. For this purpose, we develop a two-country Schumpeterian growth model in which each country chooses its basic-research investments. We find that a country’s basic-research investments increase with the country’s level of human capital and decline with its ownmarket size. This may explain the large basic-research investments by small open economies. Compared with the optimal investments achievable when countries coordinate their basic-research policies, a single country may over-invest in basic research. However, in the decentralized case the total amount of basic-research investments is always below the socially optimal investment level, which justifies policy coordination in this area.

Publication status

published

External links

Editor

Book title

Journal / series

Economics Working Paper Series

Volume

13/175

Pages / Article No.

Publisher

CER-ETH – Center of Economic Research at ETH Zurich

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Basic research; Public goods; Economic growth; Coordination of governments

Organisational unit

02045 - Dep. Geistes-, Sozial- u. Staatswiss. / Dep. of Humanities, Social and Pol.Sc.

Notes

Funding

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