In this work we test if persistent innovators, defined according to different innovation activities (R&D, product and … process innovation, patenting) grow more than other firms, and if innovation persistence can contribute to explain the so far … definition of persistent innovators traditionally based on innovation surveys. Our findings, against the expectations, support …

examine the long-run contribution of innovation persistence to sales growth and market share dynamics. We examine two main …, regardless of whether innovation persistence is defined in terms of R&D, patenting activity, or product or process innovation …. These findings lend support to luck and random theories of firm growth, in turn challenging innovation persistence theories …

political benefits. We argue that firms, especially large ones, can strategically time their innovation efforts to create false … signals to pursue subsidies; they can achieve this by temporarily inflating patent applications at a low cost, for instance …, by pushing out their dormant or late-stage existing inventions, rather than engaging in genuine and costly innovation …