Knowledge spillovers and output per worker: an industry-level analysis for OECD countries

This study analyzes the impact of knowledge spillovers on output per worker at the industry level using a primal production function approach. The article makes three different contributions to the international spillovers literature: (1) it identifies trade-related spillovers under alternative assumptions regarding the information transferred through imports, (2) it explores the importance of horizontal and vertical foreign direct investment (FDI) in knowledge spillovers, and (3) it looks at how institutional factors determine the impact of FDI-related spillovers on productivity. The main findings of the study are: (1) international knowledge spillover is an important driver of industry output per worker, and the magnitude of this spillover effect varies with alternative assumptions about the information content embodied in imports, while high technology industries benefit significantly more from import-related knowledge spillovers, and (2) the gains from FDI spillovers are primarily horizontal, but when institutional factors are considered, countries with stronger protection of intellectual property rights and a high “ease of doing business” tend to experience a substantial increase in the effectiveness of both horizontal and vertical FDI-related spillovers.