PUBLIC FUNDING OF INNOVATION

Abstract

Introduction. This paper contrasts how business cooperation at the level of R&D, the size and the membership in printing industry determine the participation of innovative manufacturing companies in the systems of public support for innovation. Material and methods. From the microdata of the “survey on technological innovation 1998-2000”, of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), a database is created by the manufacturing Spanish companies involved in innovation. Afterwards, by univariate and multivariate statistical methods, we contrast whether cooperation, size and membership in printing industry determine the participation of the manufacturing innovative companies in the systems of public support for innovation, as well as the direction of that conditioning. Results. The tests carried out indicate that more cooperation between companies at the level of I&D and a larger size have a positive influence on the degree of business involvement in the systems of public support for innovation.Discussion. Public administrations seek to foster the development of innovation among manufacturing companies facilitating by providing funds to the companies that cooperate in the area of I&D. Likewise, public support for innovation are targeting in larger firms, while the companies, belonging to the printing industry have less likely to obtain public funding for their innovative projects that the remaining companies of the Spanish manufacturing sector.