Patents, Firm size and Financial Constraints: an Empirical Analysis for a Sample of Italian Manufacturing Firms

The paper empirically investigates the issue of financial constraints to investment, focusing on its relationship with innovation activities. The study is based on the analysis of a cross-industries panel of 804 Italian companies, observed through the years 1995–2000. The main objective of the study is to highlight whether there are financial determinants underlying the strong bias of patenting activity towards larger companies in the Italian economy. By applying a dynamic panel analysis, we found that only the firms showing lower financial constraints are able to keep a sustained patenting profile through time. Our evidence suggests the existence of an imperfect capital market in the Italian economy, particularly in the case of medium-sized companies, which tend to delay inefficiently the start of in-house R&D activities.