Martin Srholec

• PhD
• Researcher at Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education – Economics Institute

Retractions are meant to protect the integrity of the published record against erroneous content, but retraction procedures are not infallible. This paper identifies imperfections in the regulatory framework of retractions, draws conceptual lessons from them, and derives recommendations to improve the handling of disputed retractions to better suit...

Predatory publishing represents a major challenge to scholarly communication. This paper maps the infiltration of journals suspected of predatory practices into the citation database Scopus and examines cross-country differences in the propensity of scholars to publish in such journals. Using the names of “potential, possible, or probable” predator...

This study examines output additionality effects of direct support to business R&D in the Czech Republic over 2004–2016. Using a large and rich firm-level dataset, we employ a non-parametric propensity score matching estimator to find out whether the subsidies stimulated new applications for formal intellectual property (IP) protection that would n...

What determines the differences in economic performance across European regions? In addressing this question, this paper takes inspiration from two different approaches. One approach highlights the role of capability-building, of a technological or social nature, while another perspective emphasizes the potential advantages of proximity and, hence,...

We propose institutional mobility indicators based on researchers’ mobility flows in 22 major fields of science across 1,130 Leiden Ranking institutions from 64 countries. We base our indicators on data from the Dimensions database and Global Research Identifier Database. We use researchers’ first and last affiliations to estimate the extent author...

This book synthesizes and interprets existing knowledge on technology upgrading failures as well as lessons from successes and failures in order to better understand the challenges of technology upgrading in emerging economies. The objective is to bring together in one volume diverse evidence regarding three major dimensions of technology upgrading...

This note is a response to a letter entitled „National Propensities? “ by David Mills and Kirsten Bell that comments on our article on “Predatory publishing in Scopus: evidence on cross‑country differences”. We welcome their interest in our work but we do not find most of their opinions to be productive. In this response, we answer their criticism,...

Predatory publishing represents a major challenge to scholarly communication. This paper maps the infiltration of journals suspected of predatory practices into the citation database Scopus and examines cross-country differences in the propensity of scholars to publish in such journals. Using the names of "potential, possible, or probable" predator...

This paper examines regional distribution of indigenous lead firms in global production networks (GPNs). The paper triangulates unique evidence at the firm-level from a large innovation survey, extensive field interviews and detailed case studies in Czechia. The results indicate that lead firms are not predominantly urban species, as often assumed...

The link between knowledge and firm growth has been a core topic in economics of innovation for a long time. However, despite strong theoretical arguments, empirical evidence remains inconclusive. One important reason for this conundrum may be the failure of standard indicators to capture firm innovation activities comprehensively. We contribute to...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the hypothesis that increased participation in global value chains (GVCs), such as assembly of imported parts for exports, leads to higher economic growth. The focus is particularly on the extent to which this holds for low-income countries, and the role that capability-building, i.e. development of the natio...

The financial crisis started in 2007–2008, initially in the US, but its consequences have been felt throughout the global economy. However, its effects were far from uniform. While parts of Asia and Africa continued to grow fast, Europe experienced a large set back. This paper emphasizes three important factors: differences across countries in tech...

This study compares output additionality effects of the IMPULS, TIP and ALFA programmes, which provided direct public support of R&D to business enterprises in the Czech Republic. Using a large and rich firm-level dataset we employ a non-parametric propensity score matching estimator to find out whether these subsidy programmes stimulated additiona...

The capability concept is commonly used in analyses of firms; however, as this paper shows, it may also be used at the level of nations. Factor analysis is used on a broad set of relevant indicators to derive composite measures of national technological and social capabilities. The data cover 114 countries worldwide on different levels of developme...

The financial crisis started in 2007-8, initially in the US, but its consequences have been felt throughout the global economy. However, its effects were far from uniform. While parts of Asia and Africa continued to grow fast, Europe experienced a large set back. This paper emphasizes three important factors: differences across countries in technol...

The literature on geography of innovation suggests that innovation outcomes depend on a diversity of knowledge inputs, which can be captured with the differentiated knowledge base approach. While knowledge bases are distinct theoretical categories, existing studies stress that innovation often involves combinations of analytical, synthetic, and sym...

The 2015 series of RIO Country Reports analyse and assess the policy and the national research and innovation system developments in relation to national policy priorities and the EU policy agenda with special focus on ERA and Innovation Union. The executive summaries of these reports put forward the main challenges of the research and innovation s...

Arrangements to cooperate on innovation facilitate access to external sources of knowledge.By using panel data derived from the five waves of Community Innovation Survey in the CzechRepublic, we examine whether firms engage in these arrangements persistently or rather revertto other behaviour. Econometric estimates of dynamic random effects and mul...

Much has been written about innovation cooperation, but little research has been done to explain the national differences thereof. Using macro and micro evidence from the fourth Community Innovation Survey, we econometrically investigate the extent to which national framework conditions account for the propensity of firms to cooperate on innovation...

This paper discusses the role of capabilities and competitiveness for the economic growth of nations. The capability concept is commonly used in analyses of firms, however, as this paper shows, it may also be used at the level of nations. Capabilities at the national level may be defined broadly as "social capabilities", as done by the economic his...

This article analyzes factors shaping technological capabilities in USA and European countries, and shows that the differences between the two continents in this respect are much smaller than commonly assumed. The analysis demonstrates a tendency toward convergence in technological capabilities for the sample as a whole between 1998 and 2008. The r...

Administrative regions do not necessarily correspond to areas that are homogenous in terms of innovation intensity. Although this has been recognized in the literature, quantitative evidence that explicitly considers this problem is rare. Using spatial exploratory analysis on detailed regional data derived from a census of R&D performers in the Cze...

National framework conditions directly affect the productivity of firms, but also moderate returns on their technological efforts. Although this has long been recognised, there is a dearth of quantitative analyses that openly consider this hypothesis. Using a data set of 15 425 manufacturing firms in 32 developing countries, we investigate the impa...

Using panel micro data obtained from merging several waves of Community Innovation Survey in the Czech Republic, Norway and the United Kingdom, we estimate dynamic random effects tobit models, in which the innovation output given by sales of innovative products is the function of the cooperative behaviour of firms and their other observed character...

Much has been written on the distinction between vertical and horizontal foreign direct investment. However, most of the empirical literature relies on indirect and aggregated measures only. The aim of this paper is to help fill this gap by examining the differences between German affiliates in the Czech Republic and their mother companies in Germa...

The recent economic crisis caught many by surprise. Yet some firms were better prepared to weather the downturn than others. Using a unique micro dataset of shareholding companies from emerging countries in Eastern and Southern Europe derived from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys, we econometrically test the hypothesis that pre-crisis innovation...

This paper explores the possibility that technological capabilities, to lead to development, need to be accompanied by a broader set of “social capabilities”, reflecting not only the quality of governance but also the spread of values, beliefs and institutions that encourage members of society to actively contribute to the development process. To i...

"The aim of the paper is to assess the heterogeneity of German affiliates in the Czech Republic and their mother companies in Germany. Applying cluster analysis to firm-level data from the unique IAB-ReLOC survey, we identify four main groups of firms that partition the sample by broad sectoral lines and technological intensity of their operation....

The aim of the paper is to assess heterogeneity of the innovation process. Using exploratory factor analysis on micro data from the third Community Innovation Survey in 13 countries, we identify four patterns that can be interpreted as research, user, external, and production ingredients of innovation. All too often it is assumed that how firm inno...

This paper analyzes factors that shape the technological capabilities of individual U.S. states and European countries, which are arguably comparable policy units. The analysis demonstrates convergence in technological capabilities from 2000 to 2007. The results indicate that social capabilities, such as a highly educated labor force, an egalitaria...

Innovation is often seen as carried out by highly educated labor in R&D intensive companies with strong ties to leading centers of excellence in the scientific world. Seen from this angle innovation is a typical "first world" activity. There is, however, another way to look at innovation that goes significantly beyond this high-tech picture. In thi...

Innovation is often seen as carried out by highly educated labour in R&D intensive companies with strong ties to leading centers of excellence in the scientific world. Seen from this angle innovation is a typical "first world" activity. There is, however, another way to look at innovation that goes significantly beyond this high-tech picture. In th...

Innovation has its most important impact on the economy through the diffusion of new technical knowledge, from its first worldwide implementation in the production of goods and services to its adoption and adaptation by enterprises located in different places across the globe. One way to identify whether an enterprise creates new knowledge or uses...

Innovation has its most important impact on the economy through the diffusion of new technical knowledge, from its first worldwide implementation in the production of goods and services to its adoption and adaptation by enterprises located in different places across the globe. One way to identify whether an enterprise creates new knowledge or uses...

Innovation is, as Joseph Schumpeter once pointed out, above all a combinatory phenomenon. Success in accessing knowledge and exploiting it in a way that is beneficial for development depends on the ability to combine many different skills and resources, of which many will be external to the firm. Arguably, political choices, past as well as present...

Innovation is generally a combination of productive means that are internal and external to a firm. Some of the external resources can be obtained locally, but for some of them firms need to venture abroad. Arrangements to cooperate on innovation facilitate access to the external sources of knowledge. Using a large data set of firms in 12 countries...

Innovation is generally a combination of productive means that are internal and external to a firm. Some of the external resources can be obtained locally, but for some of them firms need to venture abroad. Arrangements to cooperate on innovation facilitate access to the external sources of knowledge. Using a large data set of firms in 12 countries...

This paper focuses on the role of capabilities in economic development. In recent years, the quality and availability of data on different aspects of development have improved, and this provides new opportunities for investigating the reasons behind the large differences in economic development. Using factor analysis on data for 25 indicators and 1...

Innovation is a multilevel phenomenon. Not only characteristics of firms but also the environment within which firms operate matter. Although this has been recognized in the literature for a long time, a quantitative test that explicitly considers the hypothesis that framework conditions affect innovativeness of firms has been lacking. Using a larg...

Collaboration in innovation between firms and other organizations is essential for the creation, transfer and absorption of new knowledge as it reduces the risk and complexity involved in the innovation process. Collaboration partners may include other firms within an enterprise group, up-stream suppliers, downstream customers, competitors, the gov...

The aim of the paper is to assess heterogeneity of the innovation process. Using exploratory factor analysis on micro data from the third Community Innovation Survey in 13 countries, we identify four factors that that can be interpreted as research, user, external and production ingredients of innovation. All too often it is assumed that the differ...

The aim of the paper is to assess heterogeneity of the innovation process. Using exploratory factor analysis on micro data from the third Community Innovation Survey in 13 countries, we identify four factors that that can be interpreted as research, user, external and production ingredients of innovation. All too often it is assumed that the differ...

Why do some countries perform much better than other countries? This paper outlines a synthetic framework, based on Schumpeterian logic, for analyzing this question. Four different aspects of competitiveness are identified; technology, capacity, demand and price. The contribution of the paper is particularly to highlight the three first aspects, wh...

Why do some countries catch up, while others stay poor? In recent years data on different aspects of development have improved a lot. To exploit this opportunity for more in-depth research we use factor analysis on a dataset of 25 indicators in 115 countries between 1992 and 2004. The analysis identifies four different types of "capabilities"; the...

In this paper, a formal model for the relationship between innovation and growth in European Union regions is developed drawing upon the theoretical contribution of the systems of innovation approach. The model combines the analytical approach of the regional growth models with the insights of the systemic approach. The cross-sectional analysis, co...

This paper provides a survey on studies that analyze the macroeconomic effects of intellectual property rights (IPR). The first part of this paper introduces different patent policy instruments and reviews their effects on R&D and economic growth. This part also discusses the distortionary effects and distributional consequences of IPR protection a...

In this chapter we analyse the patterns of production regimes in a large sample of countries using the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) approach. The main focus is on the post-socialist countries from Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, but we also include advanced market economies from Western Europe, North America and Asia for co...

Presented at the GLOBELICS 2006 conference in India during 4-7 October 2006. Session I-1: Innovation: Conceptual Issues

Why do some countries catch up, while others stay poor? In recent years data on different aspects of development have improved a lot. To exploit this opportunity for more in-depth research we use factor analysis on a dataset of 25 indicators in 115 countries between 1992 and 2004. The analysis identifies four different types of “capabilities”; the...

The basic premise of this paper is that individual countries have distinctive strategies for growth, giving rise to many different varieties of capitalism. It takes the view that institutional arrangements and the action of governments have a major influence on decision-making of economic actors and on national economic performance. This issue is p...

International fragmentation of production generates trade in intermediate inputs. Using data from the UN Comtrade Database according to the BEC (rev. 3) classification, we construct matrixes of bilateral trade separately for exchange of final capital goods and intermediate inputs thereof for 85 countries in 1995 and 2004. Analysis of regular equiva...

This paper addresses one of the oldest and most controversial issues in economics: Why do some countries succeed in catching up, while others fall behind? In recent years the quality and availability of data on different aspects of development have improved a lot. Attempting to exploit this opportunity for more in-depth research the paper starts wi...

This paper discusses the strategy of the Czech economic policy as regards the current enlargement process of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The authors discuss the validity of the Maastricht criteria for the new European Union (EU) member countries, as well as the risks and puzzles of both real and nominal convergence processes. Th...

Innovation is essential for latecomer countries, such as the Czech Republic, to generate rapid productivity growth. Innovation cooperation can play an important role in facilitating this process, which requires agreements that extend across a wide range of partners both within the local economy and abroad. In this paper, we explore whether foreign...

The possibility that structural changes in international trade might impact countries differently has been a matter of great concern for many observers from the 1950s onwards, and the view that the specialisation pattern of a country in international trade matters for its economic performance has been widespread. This paper analyses the structural...

The paper focuses on selective investment incentives, which are aimed primarily to attract foreign direct investment, in the context of the new EU Member States, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. We discuss the issue within three closely related dimensions. We point to a potential conflict of interests between host country go...

Why do some countries grow much faster, and have much better trade performance, than other countries? What are the crucial factors behind such differences, and what can governments do in order to improve the relative position of their economies? This paper outlines a synthetic framework, based on Schumpeterian logic, for analysing such questions. F...

The paper focuses on selective investment incentives, which are aimed primarily to attract foreign direct investment, in the context of the new EU Member States, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. We discuss the issue within three closely related dimensions. We point to a potential conflict of interests between host country go...

This study, prepared by Jan Fagerberg, Mark Knell and Martin Srholec, is the revised version of a paper presented by the authors at the UNECE Spring Seminar on Competitiveness and Economic Growth in the ECE Region, held in Geneva, 23 February 2004.

Paper focuses on foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia (CECs), where FDI penetration jumped to remarkable high levels in recent years. Foreign investment enterprises are more profitable, export oriented and technologically superior compared to domestic companies. FDI is perceived as a m...

Anglické resumé

Paper focuses on foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia (CECs), where FDI penetration jumped to remarkable high levels in recent years. Foreign investment enterprises are more profitable, export oriented and technologically superior compared to domestic companies. FDI is perceived as a m...

The article analyses the economic development of transition economies (the CR, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) in the nineties by means of the original graphical method based on a multidimensional view, with the intention to assess convergence or divergence of their economic level vis-a-vis the average level of the EU countries. The polydim...

The inter-industry differences in the capacity for technology change influence the intensity and quality of structural changes in the economy, its growth dynamics and competitiveness. The intensity of changing qualitative characteristics reflects the transition economies capacity for taking technology opportunities. On this background, the analysis...

The article analyses main features of macroeconomic development in Hungary after macroeconomic restriction in spring 1995. Years 1995 - 2000 are viewed as a successful period of accelerating economic growth, high foreign direct investment inflow combined with rising external competitiveness of manufacturing industry, fiscal consolidation and modest...

The article analyses main features of macroeconomic development in Hungary after macroeconomic restriction in spring 1995. Years 1995 - 2000 are viewed as a successful period of accelerating economic growth, high foreign direct investment inflow combined with rising external competitiveness of manufacturing industry, fiscal consolidation and modest...

The paper presents alternative analytical approaches to evaluation of structural changes in selected transition economies (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia). The analysis starts from the comparison of intensity of structural changes, as an introductory (quantitative) concept measuring structural adjustment capacity. Besides the i...

This paper focuses on effects of foreign ownership on research and development (R&D) activity carried out by innovative firms in the Czech Republic. The analysis is based on firm-level data from the third Community Innovation Survey. It is shown, using a Heckman's sample selection model, that foreign affiliates tend to engage less in internal R&D c...

Market for technology has expanded over since the early 1990s. Although quality and availability of data on R&D, patents and overall innovation activity have increased enormously over the last decade, reliable and internationally comparable evidence on licensing (and licensees) remains rare. To fill in this gap, the Czech Statistical Office has lau...

Innovation is new combination of productive means that are internal or external to a firm. Arrangements to cooperate on innovation facilitate access to these external sources of knowledge. Using large micro datasets from the Third and Fourth Community Innovation Surveys in sixteen European countries, including nine new EU members, we examine the he...

Our aim is to quantify innovation strategies of firms based on evidence from the CIS data. Using exploratory factor analysis on micro data from CIS3 in 13 countries, we identify four factors that that can be interpreted as re- search-based, user-driven, extensive and social responsibility innovation strate- gies. Since it has been put forward that...

Fragmentation implies increasingly specialization of firms within the value chain of an industry or product. This means that firms become increasingly heterogeneous because each fragment of the value-chain requires different resources and capabilities, which results in different scale economies. The origin for this argument is found in Adam Smith's...

Why do some countries grow much faster, and have much better trade performance, than other countries? What are the crucial factors behind such differences, and what can governments do in order to improve the relative position of their economies? This paper outlines a synthetic framework, based on Schumpeterian logic, for analysing such questions. F...

The paper focuses on effects of foreign ownership on research and development (R&D) activity carried out by innovative firms in the Czech Republic. The analysis is based on firm-leve l data from the third Community Innovation Survey. It is shown, using a Heckman's sample selection model, that f oreign affiliates tend to engage less in intramural R&...

National framework conditions mediate the effect of technological capabilities of firms on their productivity. Although this has been recognized in the literature for a long time, a quantitative test that explicitly considers this hypothesis has been lacking. Using a World Bank datasets of about 19,000 firms in 42 countries, most of which are devel...