R&D Spillovers and Global Growth

Abstract

We examine the growth promoting roles of R&D, international R&D spillovers, and trade in a world econometric model. A country can raise its total factor productivity by investing in R&D. But countries can also boost their productivity by trading with other countries that have large stocks of knowledge from their cumulative R&D activities. We use a special version of MULTIMOD that incorporates R&D spillovers among industrial countries and from industrial countries to developing countries. Our simulations suggest that R&D, R&D spillovers, and trade play important roles in boosting growth in industrial and developing countries.