The role of firm size in the generation and adoption of frontier technologies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13133/2037-3651/18515Keywords:
frontier technologies, firm size, industrial policyAbstract
The aim of this essay is to provide some considerations on the connection between firm size, generation, and diffusion of new frontier technologies. The analysis suggests that in the face of the simultaneous development of a complex system of new technologies linked to digital transformation, the Italian production structure, characterized by smaller firm size compared to the leading industrialized countries, may act as a limit for the country’s ability to generate and use these new technologies. From a policy perspective, this implies that to increase the economic impact of innovative activities, especially in frontier technologies, the public sector should not only support the education and research system and ensure an adequate system of incentives for firms, but also seek to strengthen the relationships between companies of different sizes by adopting a supply chain perspective.
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