DOI: 10.5176/2251-2039_IE1239
Authors: Lasse Becker
Abstract: Expanding the view on innovation policy considering federal structures, the paper examines the characteristics of companies receiving public innovation support. Earlier studies assumed a homogeneous innovation policy within a country. The new focus for Germany either lies at state, national, or European level, as all these levels offer different forms of innovation support. Analyzed with a logistic regression, variables like the constancy in innovative activity or the share of employees with a university degree have a positive influence at all three levels. Variables like company size, export share or international activities influence the probability of receiving innovation support differently at each level. Regional differences between German states (“Bundesländer”) become visible: Companies in Eastern Germany access innovation support at all levels more frequently. These differences show the necessity of further research on decentralized innovation policy and its goals. In accordance with the theory of federalism, the study shows that regional programs are closely linked to regional preferences and therefore form a useful addition to national and European programs. Federal structures offer an additional value to reach out for diverse innovative actors.
Keywords: Innovation, innovation policy, federalism, subsidies
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