Networks and Innovative Performance of the Korean Manufacturing Firms

This paper estimates the effect of networks on innovative performance at the firm level , using Korean Innovation Survey (KIS) dataset Product innovation, product improvement , and process innovation are used as proxies for innovative activity. The explanatory variables such as firm size, market concentration ratio, lagged profitability, foreign ownership, export ratio, firm's age, formal R&D activity, and industrial R&D intensity are yet other considerations. With two year-long (2000 and 2001) data from 1,124 Korean manufacturing firms, we estimated the logistic regression model. The research finding indicates that the external networks have a strong positive effect on innovative output regardless of type of innovation. However, the network effects by partner (other firms or research institutions) vary across the type of innovation. Especially, we found that the user-supplier linkage plays an important role in product ion innovation, product improvement, and process innovation.