Clement Malgouyres

(CREST)

will give a presentation on

From Public Labs to Private Firms: Magnitude and Channels of R&D Spillovers

Abstract: Introducing a new measure of scientific proximity between private firms and public research groups and exploiting a multi-billion euro financing program of academic clusters in France, we provide causal evidence of spillovers from academic research to private firms. Private sector firms in the top quartile of exposure to the funding shock increase their R\&D effort by 20% compared to the bottom quartile. We then use qualitative evidence, exploiting reports produced by the funded clusters, as well as quantitative evidence, using administrative data on labor mobility and R&D public--private partnerships, to shed light on the channels for these spillovers. We show that spillovers are driven by contracting between the private and public sectors and, to a lesser extent, by labor mobility from one to the other and by informal contacts. We discuss policy implications of these findings.

(with Antonin Bergeaud, Arthur Guillouzouic and Emeric Henry)