Competition, Innovation and Welfare

Abstract:     
In an economy with drastic innovation, we analyze the effects of product market competition on social welfare. Considering Cournot and Bertrand competition as different types of product market competition, we show that Cournot competition may generate higher social welfare depending on the difference between the pre‐ and post‐innovation costs of production and the magnitude of R&D productivities. In our analysis, R&D investments are higher under Bertrand (Cournot) competition if R&D productivities are sufficiently low (high).

Number of Pages in PDF File: 13

Accepted Paper Series