This chapter reviews and integrates much of what has been learned on the processes of technological evolution, their main features, and their effects on the evolution of industries. First, we map and integrate the various pieces of evidence concerning the nature and structure of technological...

This paper analyzes the effects of new business formation on industry growth. Dynamic panel techniques are used to test two hypotheses. First, does hit-andrun competition secure efficiency in an industry? Second, do innovative startups lead to amplified innovations by diminishing the knowledge...

In this paper, we develop a new firm-level measure of distance to the productivity frontier that accounts for international technology spillovers stemming from the use of imported intermediate goods. The trade-weighted technological distance to frontier is matched with sector- and country-level...

Decelerating productivity in recent years raised questions about technology diffusion in the economy. This study focuses on one particular diffusion channel, entrepreneurship, and inspects the mechanics through which it interacts with digitalization. The composite indicator of digitalization is...

In this paper, we develop a new firm-level measure of distance to the productivity frontier that accounts for international technology spillovers stemming from the use of imported intermediate goods. The trade-weighted technological distance to frontier is matched with sector- and country-level...

The paper investigates empirically the decision of firms to adopt Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based on a comprehensive specification of a "rank model" of technology adoption (complemented by "epidemic effects") using firm-level data for the Swiss business sector. The...

The paper aims at explaining empirically the diffusion of E-commerce based on two largescale sample surveys conducted in the Swiss economy. The paper adds to previous work in two ways: firstly, we estimate separate models for E-selling and E-purchasing, and, secondly, we distinguish between...

Using a sample of 46,000 EU firms from the Community Innovation Survey, this paper analyses the drivers of innovation adoption. In contrast to most empirical studies on innovation diffusion in which a specific technology is analyzed, this study covers several countries and industries in the...

Access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) enables the production, use and transfer of knowledge in an efficient and low cost manner. Knowledge is the major factor in the knowledge economy and countries that have limited access to ICT are disadvantaged. This phenomenon is known...