Does experience matter? innovations and the productivity of information and communication technologies in German services

Abstract

In this paper, it is argued that investments in information and communication technologies (ICT) are closely linked to complementary innovations and are most productive in firms with experience from earlier innovations. In the empirical analysis based on firm-level panel data covering the period 1994–1999, system GMM estimates for an extended production function framework reveal significant productivity effects of ICT in the German service sector. Moreover, there is strong support for the hypothesis that experience gained from past process innovations makes ICT capital more productive but does not affect the productivity of other capital goods.