Government Support Mechanisms and Open Innovation: An Empirical Look at Korean Manufacturing Firms

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine how a broad palette of government support measures and firms' membership in government-developed clusters are related to firms' openness in innovation processes. Design/methodology/approach - Empirically, this study analyzes the Korea Innovation Survey 2018 data on the innovation activities of 1,450 Korean R&D-active manufacturing firms in a three-year period from 2015 through 2017. Findings - The results suggest that firms engage in open innovation to a greater extent--as measured by the breadth of external collaborating partners and of the utilized external sources of knowledge--when they are provided with a broader palette of government support measures and are located in government-developed clusters. However, the effect of diverse government support measures is attenuated for firms located in these clusters. Research implications or Originality - This study contributes to the innovation literature by illuminating how firms' open innovation can be understood in a national innovation system. Moreover, it provides valuable implications for firms seeking to obtain government support and collaborate with others.