Knowledge, capabilities and manufacturing innovation: a US-Europe comparison

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of factors contributing to the innovation performance of manufacturing firms in Georgia (USA), Wales (UK), the West Midlands (UK), and Catalonia (Spain). Enabled by comparable survey data, multiple probit models are developed to estimate how various types of firms' innovative activities are influenced by links to external knowledge sources, internal resources, absorptive capacity and public innovation support. Our results suggest the potential for mutual learning. For the European study regions there are insights about how universities in Georgia support innovation. For Georgia and Catalonia there are lessons from UK firms about better capturing potential complementarities between innovation activities. Additional implications for innovation measurement and knowledge base development are discussed.