A theoretical study on the role of intellectual property rights in environmental technology transfer through offshoring

Research Project

Project/Area Number	18K01607
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 07040:Economic policy-related
Research Institution	University of Fukui
Principal Investigator	Iida Takeshi 福井大学, 学術研究院教育・人文社会系部門(総合グローバル), 准教授 (40584561)
Project Period (FY)	2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000) Fiscal Year 2020: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000) Fiscal Year 2019: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Keywords	環境技術移転 / アウトソーシング / 環境政策 / 知的財産制度 / 環境税 / 汚染回避地仮説
Outline of Final Research Achievements	In this study, I theoretically analyzed the effect of the intellectual property rights in developing countries on vertical environmental technology transfer through offshoring from final goods producer in developed countries to intermediate goods producer in developing countries. First, I found that the incentive of vertical environmental technology transfer comes form the reduction of the intermediate goods price. I also found that the effect of lowering the price of intermediate goods consists of a direct effect and an indirect effect. Intellectual property rights in developing countries affects both direct and indirect effects through the adoption cost for environmental technology of new entrants in the developing county. In the basic model, I found that the intellectual property rights inhibits incentives for vertical environmental technology transfer.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本研究の特色は、アウトソーシングを通じた垂直的な環境技術移転に着目した点である。これまでの研究は、水平的な環境技術移転に着目しており、垂直的な取引関係の変化が先進国企業の環境技術移転のインセンティブに与える影響については十分な理解が得られていなかった。また本研究では、異なる排出責任に基づいた課税方法についても検討しており、これまでの研究(水平的環境技術移転や外部性を含まない垂直的技術移転の研究)とは異なった視点から、環境技術移転を促進するための環境政策および知的財産制度の役割を明らかにした点に学術的・社会的な意義がある。