Publication
The impact of R&D and exporting on advanced technology adoption among UK SMEs
Published: 11 November 2025
ERC Research Paper No 118
Associated Themes
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Innovation -
Productivity and performance
This paper examines the impact of simultaneous engagement in research and development (R&D) and exporting—termed dual engagement—on the adoption of advanced and emerging technologies (AET) among UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The analysis is guided by three research questions:
Whether dually engaged firms are more likely to adopt AET than those engaged in neither activity;
Whether R&D or exporting contributes more strongly to adoption;
Whether dual engagement delivers a synergistic effect beyond the sum of its parts.
A further aim is to examine how these relationships vary over time and across firm characteristics such as size, sector, and growth orientation.To address these questions, the study draws on 7,336 firm-year observations from the Department for Business and Trade’s Longitudinal Small Business Survey.
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