TY - JOUR
T1 - Vertical integration and innovation
AU - Liu, Xingyi
PY - 2016/7/1
Y1 - 2016/7/1
N2 - Innovation is a driving force for most industries, where it moreover affects many stages of the vertical chain. We study the impact of vertical integration on innovation in an industry where firms need to undertake risky R&D investments at both production and distribution stages. Vertical integration brings better coordination within the integrated firm, which boosts its investment incentive at both upstream and downstream levels. However, it is only mutually beneficial for firms to integrate when both upstream and downstream innovations are important. When innovation is irrelevant at one level, firms favor instead vertical separation. The analysis provides insights for the wave of mergers and R&D outsourcing observed in the pharmaceutical industry and other vertically related industries.
AB - Innovation is a driving force for most industries, where it moreover affects many stages of the vertical chain. We study the impact of vertical integration on innovation in an industry where firms need to undertake risky R&D investments at both production and distribution stages. Vertical integration brings better coordination within the integrated firm, which boosts its investment incentive at both upstream and downstream levels. However, it is only mutually beneficial for firms to integrate when both upstream and downstream innovations are important. When innovation is irrelevant at one level, firms favor instead vertical separation. The analysis provides insights for the wave of mergers and R&D outsourcing observed in the pharmaceutical industry and other vertically related industries.
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167718716300029?via%3Dihub
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2016.02.002
DO - 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2016.02.002
M3 - Article
SN - 0167-7187
VL - 47
SP - 88
EP - 120
JO - International Journal of Industrial Organization
JF - International Journal of Industrial Organization
ER -