---
title: "Knowledge Complementarity of a Firm’s Internal and External R&D Capabilities"
authors:
  - name: "Koski, Heli"
    url: "https://www.etla.fi/henkilot/koski-heli/"
    sameAs:
      - "https://twitter.com/heli_koski"
  - name: "Svento, Rauli"
date_published: "2014-08-06"
series: "ETLA Working Papers"
series_number: "25"
issn:
  - "2323-2420"
  - "2323-2439"
jel_codes:
  - "D83"
  - "O3"
  - "L2"
language: "en"
publisher: "ETLA Economic Research"
pdf_url: "https://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/ETLA-Working-Papers-25.pdf"
keywords:
  - "open innovation"
  - "external knowledge search"
  - "complementarity"
identifier: "https://www.etla.fi/julkaisut/id/ETLA-Working-Papers-25"
---

# Knowledge Complementarity of a Firm’s Internal and External R&D Capabilities

**Published:** 2014-08-06  
**Categories:** Julkaisut, Working Papers  
**URL:** https://www.etla.fi/julkaisut/knowledge-complementarity-firms-internal-external-rd-capabilities/

We use data from over 1500 Finnish companies for the years 2006-2008 and 2008-2010 to explore complementarity of a firm’s R&D strategy with its external knowledge acquisition and innovation collaboration strategies. We define knowledge complementarity (tacit knowledge complementarity) of R&D capabilities to exist when increase in investments in R&D also increases marginal returns from broader external knowledge search (deeper innovation collaboration with external partners). Our estimation results provide support for knowledge complementarity of external R&D. Instead, our data provide no evidence on tacit knowledge complementary of external R&D generally. However, our empirical results concerning the separate types of external R&D suggest that a firm’s acquisition of new technology (i.e., advanced machinery, equipment or software) for innovation purposes appears to be tacit knowledge complementary.

---

## Additional Information

**Kirjoittajat:** Koski, Heli - Svento, Rauli

**Kansikuva:** https://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/no_025_kansi.jpg

**Lataa Pdf:** https://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/ETLA-Working-Papers-25.pdf

**Key Words:** open innovation, external knowledge search, complementarity

**Jel:** D83, O3, L2

**Paivays:** 06.08.2014

**Sivuja:** 30

15

**Kieli:** en

**Sarja:** ETLA Working Papers

**Sarja Nro:** 25

**Issn:** 2323-2420 , 2323-2439

**Saatavuus:** 1

## Bibliographic metadata (JSON-LD)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "ScholarlyArticle",
    "@id": "https://www.etla.fi/julkaisut/id/ETLA-Working-Papers-25",
    "headline": "Knowledge Complementarity of a Firm’s Internal and External R&D Capabilities",
    "inLanguage": "en",
    "publisher": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "ETLA Economic Research",
        "url": "https://www.etla.fi",
        "logo": {
            "@type": "ImageObject",
            "url": "https://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/logo-etla_logo.svg"
        }
    },
    "datePublished": "2014-08-06T00:00:00+00:00",
    "author": [
        {
            "@type": "Person",
            "name": "Koski, Heli",
            "url": "https://www.etla.fi/henkilot/koski-heli/",
            "sameAs": [
                "https://twitter.com/heli_koski"
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "Person",
            "name": "Svento, Rauli"
        }
    ],
    "abstract": "",
    "keywords": [
        {
            "@type": "DefinedTerm",
            "name": "open innovation",
            "@language": "en"
        },
        {
            "@type": "DefinedTerm",
            "name": "external knowledge search",
            "@language": "en"
        },
        {
            "@type": "DefinedTerm",
            "name": "complementarity",
            "@language": "en"
        }
    ],
    "isPartOf": {
        "@type": "PublicationIssue",
        "issueNumber": "25",
        "isPartOf": {
            "@type": "Periodical",
            "name": "ETLA Working Papers",
            "issn": [
                "2323-2420",
                "2323-2439"
            ]
        }
    },
    "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.etla.fi/julkaisut/knowledge-complementarity-firms-internal-external-rd-capabilities/",
    "url": "https://www.etla.fi/julkaisut/knowledge-complementarity-firms-internal-external-rd-capabilities/",
    "associatedMedia": {
        "@type": "MediaObject",
        "@id": "https://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/ETLA-Working-Papers-25.pdf",
        "encodingFormat": "application/pdf",
        "contentUrl": "https://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/ETLA-Working-Papers-25.pdf"
    },
    "sameAs": [
        "https://www.etla.fi/julkaisut/knowledge-complementarity-firms-internal-external-rd-capabilities/",
        "https://www.etla.fi/en/publications/knowledge-complementarity-firms-internal-external-rd-capabilities/"
    ]
}
```