An analysis of policy initiatives to promote strategic research partnerships

Strategic research partnerships (SRPs) have become a salient feature of the US National Innovation System. We provide an overview of SRPs and examine the antecedents and consequences of centerpiece legislation designed to stimulate the formation of SRPs: the National Cooperative Research Act (NCRA) of 1984. NCRA allows firms to disclose their research joint ventures (RJVs) to the Department of Justice, which enabled them to significantly reduce their exposure to antitrust litigation. We estimate an econometric model of trends in RJV filings and find that, as intended by the legislation, the propensity of firms to engage in RJVs is sensitive to changes in the global competitiveness of US high-technology industries. More importantly, our results suggest that the establishment of the Commerce Department's Advanced Technology Program, which provides financial support to firms that engage in collaborative research projects, induced firms to engage in additional (privately financed) RJVs. This is a spillover mechanism that warrants further attention as national innovation systems evolve.