The fourth International Network for Innovation Research (INIR) Workshop will be held at Université Libre de Bruxelles the 13th September 2003. Ever since innovation was identified as an important driver of economic growth, policy makers have had a keen interest in understanding how the process of developing and integrating new knowledge in the innovation process leads to successful innovation. The prosperity of a country is expected to rise with the ability to access available new knowledge, which is relevant for the innovation process. Hence, it is important to stimulate the channels through which external technological information flows. The models of endogenous innovation-driven growth (a.o. Grossman & Helpman 1991) have placed the subject of knowledge spillovers at the forefront of research. The objective of the conference is to discuss recent academic contributions to our understanding of knowledge spillovers and the diffusion of technology and their implications on innovation and economic activities. Examples of topics are the following: · How can the different channels through which technology transfers occur be formalized and how to measure their impacts on the economy? · Which firms are accessing international know-how ? From where ? Through which means? · What are the main factors enhancing the absorptive capability of R&D results generated by other firms, sectors, countries? · How much time does it take to knowledge spillovers to show up in economic performance? · How to measure the effectiveness of policy instruments addressing the imperfect appropriability of the output of R&D activities?

The conference will be organized by Henri Capron, Michele Cincera and Carolina Villegas Sanchez (Applied Department of Economics, ULB), and Bruno van Pottelsberghe (Applied Department of Economics and Solvay Business School, ULB). Participants are invited to submit papers for presentation at the conference. Both theoretical and empirical work will be welcomed. The deadline for the submission of a paper is the 3th of August 2003. A decision will be made by the 20st of August. Please submit papers electronically as PDF-files to:  mcincera@ulb.ac.be.