Governance and Performance of Publicly Funded R&D Consortia

Abstract

Abstract:R&D consortia have been regarded as an effective means of promoting innovation, and several R&D consortia obtain public financial support, which may affect its governance structure and performance. This study investigates the governance mechanisms of publicly funded R&D consortia and their effects on innovation.Regarding R&D consortia, few studies have empirically addressed the effect of project monitoring by the government. Moreover, the role of project leadership in R&D consortia remains poorly explored. Focusing on a major support program for R&D consortia in Japan and using a sample of 315 firms that participated in publicly funded R&D consortia from 2004 to 2009, we empirically confirm that project leadership by a private firm, especially its coordination capability, significantly increases the probability of project success (early commercialization of innovation outcomes). We also find that project performance is positively affected by the strictness of project monitoring and evaluation by the government. Finally, we find no complementarity between project leadership and government monitoring with regard to the effects on project performance.

Selective subsidies, entrepreneurial founders' human capital, and access to R&D alliances

“…The first contribution of this study is to document the positive effect of any selective subsidy towards an NTBF's capability to access R&D alliances. To the extent that the design and governance of cluster policies involving new technology-based firms might be problematic (see for example Okamuro and Nishimura 2015), this is a good news. In fact our results show that policy makers may by-pass the problem by granting selective subsidies to NTBFs and endogenously leave to the recipient firm the decisions related to alliances.…”

Exploring Taxonomies and Governance Challenges of Sponsored R&D Consortia: Evidence from the EU Framework Program

“…According to Okamuro and Nishimura (2018), R&D consortia are an effective means to promote innovation. They have become an instrument for public policies and research programs to support technology and innovation in many countries such as Research Associations in the UK, VLSI in Japan, SEMATECH in USA and ESPRIT in Europe, etc.…”