R&D Expenditure During Crisis: Strategies to Sustain Post-Crisis Innovation Success

R&D Expenditure During Crisis: Strategies to Sustain Post-Crisis Innovation Success

This project deals with the consequences of the economic crisis in 2008/09 on innovation activities in firms. In particular, we analyse the effects of adjustments in R&D spending during the crisis (i.e. in the year 2009) on post-crisis innovation success in the years 2010 to 2012 while considering the firms’ innovation management strategies. The project focuses three research questions:

  1.  Did firms that follow an anti-cyclical R&D investment strategy during crisis (i.e. that kept R&D at a constant level or even increased it) show a higher market success with inno vations in the years after the crisis as compared to firms that adjusted R&D expenditure downwards in response to a worsened economic situation?
  2. Which innovation management strategies were helpful to translate an anti-cyclical R&D investment strategy into higher innovation success?
  3. Which innovation management measures are helpful to sustain post-crisis innovation success despite a reduction in R&D expenditure during the crisis?

The research questions are analysed empirically using the Mannheim Innovation Panel as well as additional data on firms innovation management activities.

Project members

Christian Rammer

Christian Rammer

Project Coordinator
Deputy

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