Equilibrium research joint ventures
Document Type
Book chapter
Source Publication
The economics of innovation: Incentives, cooperation, and R&D policy
Publication Date
1-1-2008
First Page
143
Last Page
156
Publisher
Emerald
Abstract
Research joint ventures (RJVs) avoid duplication of R&D costs and facilitate knowledge diffusion. However, sharing R&D output intensifies post-innovation market competition and hence hampers firms' incentive to join an RJV. In this paper, RJV formation is modeled as a noncooperative sequential game, as in Bloch (1995, “Endogenous structures of association in oligopoly”, RAND Journal of Economics 26, 537–556). I show that in equilibrium a unique RJV exists, and it comprises of only a subset of the firms in the industry unless R&D cost is low. Moreover, the equilibrium RJV is larger than the size that maximizes the profit per member firm but smaller than the socially optimal size. When firms initially have different marginal costs, various RJV structures can emerge in equilibrium. For some parameter values of the model, large (low-cost) firms join hands in R&D, leaving small (high-cost) firms as outsiders. For other parameter values, a group of large firms invite small firms, instead of other large firms, to form an RJV.
DOI
10.1016/S0573-8555(08)00208-3
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2008 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Additional Information
ISBN of the source publication: 9780444532558
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Lin, P. (2008). Equilibrium research joint ventures. In R. Cellini & L. Lambertini (Eds.), The economics of innovation: Incentives, cooperation, and R&D policy (pp.143-156). Bingley, U.K.: Emerald. doi: 10.1016/S0573-8555(08)00208-3