Measuring the Impact of ATP-Funded Research Consortia on Research Productivity of Participating Firms: A Framework Using Both U.S. and Japanese Data

摘要

This study empirically evaluates the impact of consortia funded by the U.S. Advanced Technology Program (ATP) on the research productivity of participating firms. We find that there is a positive association between the intensity of participation in research consortia and the overall research productivity of participants. Our analysis suggests that participation in one additional ATP-funded research consortium per year would generate an increase in patenting for that firm in that year of nearly 8%. We also find that consortia have a positive impact on the research productivity of participants in the technological areas targeted by the consortia. This positive impact of consortia is higher when the average technological proximity (as measured by the degree to which the patenting portfolios of participating firms are similar) of participants is high. There is preliminary evidence that large firms conducting intensive research and development (R&D) tend to benefit more from their participation in consortia. Japanese data validate the findings of data from ATP projects regarding the positive association between the average technological proximity of firms in a consortium and patenting in the technological areas targeted by the consortium, as well as an increase in patenting outcomes (i.e., increase in patenting activity) over pre-consortium levels in the technologies targeted by the consortium. Japanese data support ATPs focus on pre-commercial research. Qualitative data show a positive association between patenting outcomes and research projects that Japanese firms perceive to be more basic or pre-commercial, as opposed to projects that are close to commercialization. In addition, Japanese data suggest that bringing makers of rival products for the same market into the same consortium is detrimental to patenting outcomes.