External sources of technological innovation in chilean manufacturing industry

Abstract

There are several arguments in the literature regarding that more open economies would grow faster in the long term. Nevertheless, the channels through which openness increases growth have not been clearly identified in empirical analysis. In this article, we study if outward orientation variables have a positive impact on technological innovation, which is one of the most important sources of productivity growth. Using microeconomic data for Chilean manufacturing industry, we identify the effect of three main mechanisms of technological absorption: exports, direct foreign investment and purchase of foreign technical licenses. The results suggest that exports increase significantly technological innovation. In addition, we found causality in both ways. Technological innovation increases the probability of exporting. The other two channels; direct foreign investment and technical licenses, would be less important, because they only affect a reduced number of technological innovation indicators.