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Science Technology & Society, Vol. 11, No. 2, 271-317 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/097172180601100202
© 2006 SAGE Publications

Articles

Technological Behaviour and Export Probability in Developing Countries

The Case of Mexico

Salvador Estrada

Salvador Estrada is at the Virtual Consulting Consortium SOL I+D, Manta 609, Lindavista, GA Madero, 07300, Mexico City, Mexico. E-mail: salvador.estrada{at}gmail.com.

Joost Heijs

Joost Heijs is at the Instituto de Análisis Industrial y Financiero, Universidad Completense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223, Madrid, Spain. E-mail: joost{at}ccee.ucm.es.

This article studies innovative behaviour and its impact on export activity. Our results show—for the Mexican case—that innovation is a method used to meet international standards and is therefore necessary in order to compete in export markets. This relationship has been observed in both developed and developing countries, although the exact configuration differs, probably due to the different role innovation plays in each. We used several sub-samples showing that different types of firms are associated with distinct independent variables. These variables could quite possibly explain many of the differing and often contradictory results in existing literature.

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