Estimating the influence of KIBS spillovers through the knowledge production function and the role of international trade

A research gap exists regarding how research and development (R&D) expenditures contribute to the generation of innovative spillovers through knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS), particularly within the manufacturing and business services subsectors. These spillovers have a networking effect on innovation products in the manufacturing and services subsectors, as captured by the knowledge production function (KPF). The study proposes a two-stage model for analyzing the elasticities of production and economies of scale that arise from estimating singular knowledge production functions within a regional trade system. This model is tested for the case of the trade agreement of the United States, Mexico, and Canada (USMCA). The main results express that R&D expenditures embodied in KIBS spillovers have a significant effect on the generation of innovation outputs, in each of the USMCA countries and, reveal increasing returns to scale. Also, KPF elasticities, for the capital and the labor variables, proved to be inelastic and exhibited constant returns to scale. Additionally, the different estimates in each one of the USMCA countries expose diverse technologies of scale among the three countries.