Is Venture Capital Special? Empirical Evidence from a Government Initiated Venture Capital Market, Science, Technology and the Economy Program (STE) – Working Papers Series STE-WP-9

The financing extended by venture capital funds is examined in this paper, using a unique database that includes information about all the firms in the portfolio of all the Israeli venture capital funds in 1997-2000, and data on a control group of firms that were not backed by venture capital funds but were supported by […]
How Users Build The Innovation Partnership They Need

Innovation is unlikely to be successful if it is founded on the supposition that the innovative process is essentially simple, linear and sequential. It is not. The innovative process is complex, intricate and irregular and basically it can be considered as a learning and information process. Successful innovation is the product of a total information […]
The Military as a Public Space – The Role of the IDF in the Israeli Software Innovation System, Science, Technology and the Economy Program (STE) – Working Papers Series STE-WP-13

This paper focuses on the role played by the Israeli military (IDF) in creating and sustaining the highly innovative Israeli software industry. The IDF is often credited with a large role in the creation and sustained success of the Israeli high-tech industry. The paper analyze the activities and history of the IDF’s central computer unit, […]
Quantitative Growth Effects of Subsidies in a Search Theoretic R&D Modal, Science, Technology and the Economy Program (STE) – Working Papers Series STE-WP-16-2002

Should government subsidize R&D and does it matter how these subsidies are allocated? We examine these questions in a dynamic model where R&D is described as sequential sampling from a distribution of new ideas. Successful discoveries affect future available resources and incentives for further R&D. Consequently, there may be under-investment in R&D. We study the […]
The Determination of Success of R&D Projects: Evidence from American-Israeli Research Alliances, Science, Technology and the Economy Program STE-WP-8-2001

A basic premise of Israeli R&D support programs has been the principle of neutrality all eligible projects are funded. With a binding budget constraint, however, the government has to select the projects it funds and thus to depart from neutrality. An optimal departure would favor those projects that have less of a chance to succeed […]
Cooperation and Competition in R&D with Uncertainty & Spillovers, Science, Technology and the Economy Program STE-WP-6

In a general setting with uncertainty and spillovers in R&D activity, we consider the incentive to cooperate among firms at any or all of the following three stages. Firms can jointly agree on the level of R&D expenditures, they can set up joint research facilities, and/or they can engage in an information sharing agreements, by […]
Defense R&D and Economic Growth in Israel: A Research Agenda, Science, Technology and the Economy Program STE-WP-4

When evaluating Israel’s high-tech capabilities and impressive economic achievements since inception, it is difficult not to recognize the important role played by defense and military developments. In particular, defense-related R&D had significant impacts on, as much as it was aided by, Israel’s industrial sector, higher educational system in science and engineering, research community, and the […]
R&D, Firm Size and Innovation: An Empirical Analysis, SNI R&D Policy Papers Series

Investment in R&D spawns innovations, which in turn foster economic growth. In recent years, researchers have become increasingly aware of the role of industrial innovation in the rate of regional development and economic growth. In order to innovate, firms must invest in R&D (in-house or out-sourcing), and engage highly skilled labor that is able to […]
Investments in Civilian Research & Development in Israel: Background Data for Development of a National Policy

Israel is basing its progress and prosperity on human capital (quality manpower) and unique knowledge. The outstanding expression of this is the development of an industry based on advance knowledge which in the last decade led Israel to an impressive average economic growth of 5%, of which 30% stem from high-tech industry (1). In spite […]
R&D, Subsidies and Productivity, Science, Technology and the Economy Program STE-WP-7

In this paper we formulate a model that extends the traditional theoretical literature on the optimal management of an R&D project by emphasizing the model’s empirical and policy implications. We solve the firm’s dynamic problem and use the resulting optimal R&D policy to assess the role of subsidies aimed at stimulating R&D activities. The theoretical […]
