Jean Belin

Determinants and Specificities of Eco-Innovations Compared to Other Innovations--An Econometric Analysis for the French and German Industry Based on the Community Innovation Survey-super-1

Many recent papers deal with exploring and explaining the determinants of eco-innovations for different countries supporting the formulation of efficient policy measures to trigger eco-innovation activities of firms. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of econometric cross-country analyses allowing recognizing common cross-country determinants, but also country-specific characteristics of eco-innovations. Based on data from the fourth Community Innovation Survey for France and Germany, the present paper contributes to fill this gap. Using a fully harmonized econometric model for the two countries, we are able to detect remarkable similarities concerning the different determinants of eco-innovations despite differences in the national innovation systems. The results confirm the central role of regulation and cost savings as motivations for eco-innovations compared to other innovations. Furthermore, eco-innovative activities seem to require more external sources of knowledge and information. Due to the respective regulation, in France, universities as cooperation partners seem to be more important compared to Germany.

Defense firms adapting to major changes in the French R&D funding system

Abstract The structural changes inside the French innovation system have impacted the role of defense firms since the late 1980s. Major changes have affected the defense budget and public R&D funding system in particular. The aim of this article is to understand French defense firms’ repositioning within the National Innovation System (NIS) based on an analysis of their R&D behavior over a long period of time (1987–2010). We show that French defense firms remain major players in the NIS and faced up to these major changes by adapting the funding of their R&D and their research priorities and rolling out new innovation capabilities. Additionally, they developed new innovation models to take advantage of new collaborative partnerships developed for civil and military markets.

Strengthening the Cost Effectiveness of Medical Countermeasure Development Against Rare Biological Threats: The Ebola Outbreak

Some chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, whether naturally, accidentally, or intentionally released, can be very damaging and pose a high risk to national security, owing to their potential for economic and social disruption. Efficacious pharmaceutical research and development could protect populations against such agents via new prophylactic drugs and vaccines or post-exposure treatment with antidotes and antimicrobials. However, because of the unpredictable nature of when, if ever, the health risks of specific chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents might be realized, the development of medical countermeasures against these agents carries less promise of free market rewards to entice investment, and thus this development necessitates public funding or incentives. In terms of defining the level and targets of such public funding, the potential economic impact of any realized threat must be determined. This article first examines the specific components of market failure—research and development efforts vs. market rewards—associated with medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. Then, the latest natural outbreak of the Ebola virus disease is used as a case study to illustrate the risks that such biological agents can pose to social and economic structures. Rather than addressing risks associated with exposure from terrorist events, this case study highlights the potential to strengthen the case to fund relevant medical countermeasures for naturally occurring diseases with epidemic potential that could also impact Western countries owing to the consequences on their armed forces operating in the area of the outbreak, on trade, or even travelers who may disseminate the disease. To that end, causal factors that led to a lack of medical countermeasures prior to the 2014 outbreak are identified, then opportunities that could have triggered a re-evaluation as a threat worthy of high actionable concern are probed.