The Use of Internal Resources for the Creation of Innovation: An Empirical Analysis of Portuguese Companies Benefiting from Tax Incentives for Research and Development

Comparing companies solely based on tax incentives for R&D activities can be misleading. Hence, this research aims to assess how Portuguese companies that make use of tax incentives for R&D activities on an ongoing basis behave in terms of promoting and appropriating value through innovation. From an initial population of 3,156 companies, a final database with 339 Portuguese companies that made use of fiscal credits from 2013 to 2016 was analyzed. The tax incentive program targeted was the Fiscal Incentive System supporting R&D in Enterprises (SIFIDE). Using the analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA), the main results suggest that, considering the internal resources, there are no statistically significant differences between the promotion and appropriation of value through innovation according to the size and age of companies. The data indicate that good management regarding the generation and implementation of innovations may occur independently of size and age of firms, in the Portuguese case. Albeit the averages of the indicators of value appropriation of the intangible (e.g. patents, trademarks, and new processes), and the efficiencies of assets and liabilities for the promotion of the intangible are different according to the level of technological intensity. These results point to the need to reevaluate the tax incentives for R&D activities, since its generic nature may not meet the different innovation needs arising from the distinctive characteristics of these enterprises and their technological dynamics. Implications and future research directions are provided.

Automated summary

This research analyzed 339 Portuguese companies that used tax incentives for R&D activities from 2013 to 2016, and assessed their behavior in terms of promoting and appropriating value through innovation. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the promotion and appropriation of value through innovation based on the size and age of companies. However, the averages of value appropriation indicators for intangible assets and the efficiencies of assets and liabilities varied according to the level of technological intensity. Therefore, there is a need to reevaluate tax incentives for R&D activities to meet the diverse innovation needs of different enterprises and their technological dynamics.