An Empirical Analysis on the Diffusion Impact of IT Technological Knowledge

정보통신 기술지식의 파급효과에 대한 실증분석

The main objective of this research is to examine the spillover effects of technological knowledge from IT industry to other industrial sectors and, based on empirical findings, to draw policy implications and suggest policy directions. To this end, we divide IT industry into IT equipment and IT service, assuming that these two sub-sectors are considerably different each other in terms of technology knowledge flow. Other industries are classified into 17 different sectors based on the KSIC of 1990. As the proxy measure of technological knowledge, the notion of R&D stock is employed. The Input/output(I/O) Table is used to define the inter-industrial flow pattern and to draw the knowledge flow matrix. As the research methodology, cost function model is employed to gauge the spillover effects of technological knowledge of IT industry. Based on the results of analysis, it is found that the economic impact of technology diffusion also exhibits a different pattern between IT equipment and IT service. The diffusion of IT equipment tends to show labor-substitution effect whereas IT service displays labor-creation effect. This fact should be considered in devising industry, education, and labor policy. The expectations from this research are as follows. First, the sectoral pattern, difference between IT equipment and service in particular, identified from this research may shed light on the sector-specific policy direction. It is emphasized that a sector-specific approach, rather than an aggregate approach, is relevant for formulating IT policy. Second, it is expected that the importance of technology diffusion programs and policy measures are recognized among policy makers in IT industry.