Evaluating Market Structure-R&D Expenditure Relationship in Iran’s Manufacturing Sector (A panel smooth transition regression approach)

The main purpose of this article was testing the relation between competition and innovation in Iran’s manufacturing industry. To meet this ends the data of 130 Iran’s 4-digit industries over the period of 1996-2013 were used. Also, this article sought to analyze this relationship by using a panel smooth transition approach. The results indicated that, clearly there was the nonlinear relationship among variables and by increasing concentration until threshold value 0.267 the research and development intensity increased but after this threshold value, its effect decreased. Moreover in the second model by increasing research and development intensity till the threshold value of 0.38 percentage the concentration increased and after that, this impact has been decreased. In addition, only in 6% of Iran's industries competition and innovation was high but, in most industries by increasing competition, innovation were declining. Overall, there was an asymmetric relationship between competition and innovation and in most industries the intensity of research and development expenditures were low. So, in Iran’s industries, the inverse U relation between innovation and competition confirmed.