We consider a model of innovation that distinguishes between ideas and innovations. While innovation responds to incentives, ideas are a scarce resource that provide an exogenous constraint on the rate of innovation. We investigate how the optimal reward structure is shaped by the scarcity of...

This paper builds a theoretical foundation for the dynamics of knowledge sharing in private industry. In practice, research and development projects can take years or even decades to complete. We model an uncertain research process, where research projects consist of multiple sequential steps....

This paper builds a theoretical foundation for the dynamics of knowledge sharing in private industry. In practice, research and development projects can take years or even decades to complete. We model an uncertain research process, where research projects consist of multiple sequential steps....

We investigate optimal rewards in an R&D model where substitute ideas for innovation arrive to random recipients at random times. By foregoing investment in a current idea, society as a whole preserves an option to invest in a better idea for the same market niche, but with delay. Because...

We investigate rewards to R&D in a model where substitute ideas for innovation arrive to random recipients at random times. By foregoing investment in a current idea, society as a whole preserves an option to invest in a better idea for the same market niche, but with delay. Because successive...

This paper studies the relationship between optimal prizes and scarcity of ideas in innovation contests. We consider a model where both ideas and effort are integral parts of the innovation process. Contest participants are privately informed about their idea quality. We introduce a new...

This paper analyzes the effects of cooperative R&D arrangements in a model with stochastic R&D and output spillovers. Our main innovation is to allow for free entry in both the R&D race and product market. Moreover, in contrast with the literature, we assume that cooperative R&D arrangements do...