How Does COVID-19 Affect Corporate Research and Development? Evidence from China.

This paper examines how COVID-19 affects firm research and development (R&D) using the data of Chinese-listed companies from 2018 to 2020. Our results show that COVID-19 significantly inhibits firm R&D input. However, such significant evidence mainly exists on firms classified as private enterprises, with smaller size, or belonging to high-technology industries. Moreover, we find evidence that the epidemic reduces firm revenue but, in the meantime, increases the financing constraint, leading to less R&D investment. The conclusion of this study provides a theoretical basis and practical reference for enterprises to make better decisions on innovative activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]