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EMPCT WORKING PAPER SERIES

The EMPCT Working Paper Series is a collection of recent research publications or working papers by the scholars affiliated with the Empirical Macroeconomics Policy Center of Texas.


From Adoption to Innovation: State-Dependent Technology Policy in Developing Countries

EMPCT Working Paper Series No. 2026-05
92 pages | PDF Download | PDF in Browser

Choi, Jaedo & Younghun Shim, “From Adoption to Innovation: State-Dependent Technology Policy in Developing Countries”, May 2026.

Abstract
When should policymakers transition from adoption-led to innovation-led growth? Using
South Korea’s historical technology-transfer data, we document three facts on adoption:
the advantage of backwardness, strategic pricing, and knowledge diffusion. We build
a two-country growth model consistent with these facts. As the gap narrows, productivity
gains from adoption diminish and adoption fees rise, eroding the effectiveness of
adoption subsidies. Adoption’s contribution to Korea’s TFP growth falls from 31% to 5%,
while innovation’s rises from 2% to 24% (1973–2023). Korea’s state-dependent shift from
adoption to innovation subsidies improved welfare by 6.2%. Initially higher tariffs further
raise welfare by lowering fees.



Reference No.TitleAuthor(s)Download
2026-05From Adoption to Innovation: State-Dependent Technology Policy in Developing CountriesJaedo Choi and Younghun ShimPDF, 2.1MB
2026-04Monetary Policy According to Households: Perceptions, Reactions, and ChannelsFrancesco Grigoli, Damiano Sandri, Yuriy Gorodnichenko, and Olivier CoibionPDF, 1.5MB
2026-03Geopolitical PayoffsAndrei A. Levchenko, Nitya Pandalai-Nayar, and Henry YoungPDF, 0.9MB
2026-02Superstars or Supervillains? Large Firms in the South Korean Growth MiracleJaedo Choi, Andrei A. Levchenko, Dimitrije Ruzic, and Younghun ShimPDF, 1.1MB
2026-01A Behavioral Heterogeneous Agent New Keynesian ModelOliver Pfäuti and Fabian SeyrichPDF, 1.5MB
2025-10How Monetary Policy Is Made: Lessons from Historical FOMC DiscussionsCooper Howes, Marc Dordal i Carreras, Olivier Coibion, and Yuriy GorodnichenkoPDF, 3.5MB
2025-09The Economic Impact of Mass DeportationsJavier Cravino, Andrei A. Levchenko, Francesc Ortega and Nitya Pandalai-NayarPDF, 8.2MB
2025-08The Impact of Geopolitical Risk on Consumer Expectations and SpendingYuriy Gorodnichenko, Dimitris Georgarakos, Geoff Kenny, and Olivier CoibionPDF, 1 MB
2025-07The Dynamics of Technology Transfer: Multinational Investment in China and Rising Global CompetitionJaedo Choi, George Cui, Younghun Shim, Yongseok ShinPDF, 0.9 MB
2025-06The Inflation Attention Threshold and Inflation Surges (Revised)Oliver PfautiPDF, 2.1 MB
2025-05INFLATION, EXPECTATIONS AND MONETARY POLICY: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AND TO WHAT END?Olivier Coibion, Yuriy GorodnichenkoPDF, 1.3 MB
2025-04Firms’ Inflation and Wage Expectations During the Inflation SurgeErwan Gautier, Frédérique Savignac, Olivier CoibionPDF, 4.5 MB
2025-03Attention to the MacroeconomySebastian Link, Andreas Peichl, Oliver Pfauti, Christopher Roth, Johannes WohlfartPDF, 1MB
2025-02Fast and Slow Technological TransitionsRodrigo Adão, Martin Beraja, Nitya Pandalai-NayarPDF, 2.2MB
2025-01How Costly Are Business Cycle Volatility and Inflation? A Vox Populi ApproachGeorgarakos, Dimitris, Kwang Hwan Kim, Olivier Coibion, Myungkyu Shim, Myunghwan Andrew Lee, Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Geoff Kenny, Seowoo Han, and Michael WeberPDF, 1.3MB
2024-01Keeping Up with the Jansens: Causal Peer Effects on Household Spending, Beliefs and HappinessMaarten van Rooij, Olivier Coibion, Dimitris Georgarakos, Bernardo Candia, and Yuriy GorodnichenkoPDF, 2.1 MB
2024-02The Inflation Attention Threshold and Inflation SurgesOliver PfäutiPDF, 1.8 MB
2024-03Illiquid Lemon Markets and the MacroeconomyAimé Bierdel, Andres Drenik, Juan Herreño, Pablo OttonelloPDF, 10 MB
2024-04Relative-Price Changes as Aggregate Supply Shocks Revisited: Theory and EvidenceHassan Afrouzi, Saroj Bhattarai, and Edson WuPDF, 1.5 MB
2024-05Monetary Policy without Moving Interest Rates: The Fed Non-Yield ShockChristoph E. Boehm and T. Niklas KronerPDF, 1.4 MB
2024-06Concentration,Market Power, andMisallocation: The Role of Endogenous Customer Acquisition*Hassan Afrouzi, Andres Drenik, and Ryan KimPDF, 5.9 MB
2024-07Playing with blocs: Quantifying decouplingBarthélémy Bonadio, Zhen Huo, Elliot Kang, Andrei A. Levchenko, Nitya Pandalai-Nayar, Hiroshi Toma, Petia TopalovaPDF, 4.2MB
2024-08Weathering the Storm: Supply Chains and Climate RiskJuanma Castro-Vencenzi, Gaurav Khanna, Nicolas Morales, Nitya Pandalai-Nayar,PDF, 11.7 MB
2024-09Dynamic Models, New Gains from Trade?Christoph E. Boehm, Andrei A. Levchenko, Nitya Pandalai-Nayar, Hiroshi TomaPDF, 780.3 KB

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