Innovation and Knowledge Creation in an Open Economy: Canadian Industry and International Implications

The book analyzes how manufacturing firms bring new and improved products and production processes to the market. It examines sources of innovative ideas and technologies; the role of R&D activity; the use of patent protection and other government policies; and the effect of innovation on employment and various performance indicators such as profitability and export performance. It reveals how these processes differ between small and large firms; domestic and multinationals, and across industries. Although the primary focus is on Canadian manufacturing firms, the results are adjusted to reflect recent empirical studies from other industrialized countries.