Knowledge sources of innovation in a small open economy: The case of Singapore

By tracing the flows of patent citation to prior patents and scientific journal articles, we investigate the sources of knowledge for innovation output in Singapore, a small, highly open economy that has traditionally been significantly dependent on foreign multinational corporations (MNCs). We found that the local production of new knowledge by indigenous Singaporean firms depends disproportionately on technological knowledge produced by MNCs with operational presence in Singapore and scientific knowledge generated by foreign universities. Locally produced new knowledge by indigenous firms and local universities/public research institutes constitutes an as yet insignificant, albeit growing, source for innovation in Singapore.