This study proposes a general equilibrium model to describe innovative R&D location decisions by multinational firms. Using two countries, a developed North and a developing South, the model examines Northern firms employing researchers in the South in order to produce new varieties of a good. The Northern firms risk their product being imitated when offshoring research. Southern researchers may take information learned while employed by the Northern firm and start their own competing firm. The model's main predictions are supported empirically by a data set constructed with U.S. patent data. For high‐tech industries, stronger IPR protection in the South increases both industry‐level and firm‐level offshoring at a rate faster than low‐tech industries. Southern import tariffs do not affect firm‐level innovative R&D offshoring.

中文翻译：

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南北贸易中的创新研发离岸外包：理论与证据

这项研究提出了一个一般均衡模型来描述跨国公司创新的研发选址决策。该模型使用两个国家，一个发达的北方和一个发展中的南方，检验了在南部雇用研究人员以生产商品新品种的北方公司。北方公司在离岸研究时会冒其产品被模仿的风险。南方研究人员可能会吸收在北方公司工作期间学到的信息，然后创办自己的竞争公司。该模型的主要预测由美国专利数据构建的数据集以经验为依据。对于高科技产业，南部地区更强的知识产权保护以比低技术产业更快的速度增加了产业层面和企业层面的离岸外包。南部进口关税不会影响公司层面的创新研发离岸外包。