The characteristics and incentives of corporate intangible investment plans in Hungary

  • Zsolt Szabó Magyar Fejlesztési Bank
Keywords: intangible investment, hypothesis testing, logistic regression, enterprise survey

Abstract

Intangible investments play an increasingly important role in economic growth, making their analysis particularly relevant from a development policy perspective. Using statistical analysis of corporate survey data, this study examines the main dividing lines in intangible investment intentions within the Hungarian corporate sector between 2019 and 2024. Using logistic regression estimates, the firm-level factors that support such investment plans are identified. Among the hypotheses derived from international empirical research, the study confirms that larger firm size increases the likelihood of investing in intangible assets, firm age has no detectable effect, and the tertiary sector exhibits a higher-than-average level of openness. In addition to a development-­centred, growth-oriented corporate attitude, previous experience in the field of intangible development strongly influences future investment intentions, a factor that development policy must not overlook, especially given that a decline in investment appetite has been observed since 2020.

References

Antonelli, C., Orsatti, G., & Pialli, G. (2025). Out of equilibrium and intangible assets. Jour-nal of Evolutionary Economics, 35, 123–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00191-025-00890-0

Arrighetti, A., Landini, F., & Lasagni, A. (2014). Intangible assets and firm heterogeneity: Evidence from Italy. Research Policy, 43(1), 202–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.07.015

Bauer, P., & Genty, A. (2022). Industrial performance and investments in intangible assets during crises. In E. Hobza & E. Kanton (Eds.), Science, research and innovation perfor-mance of the EU (pp. 607–638). Publications Office of the European Union. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/3cf69fd2-b663-40d5-b43e-7bded3ba0865_en

Bauer, P., Domnick, C., Harasztosi, P., Rückert, D., & Weiss, C. (2024). Intangible differences: Investment during the pandemic and the role of financial constraints (EIB Working Paper, No. 2024/06). European Investment Bank. https://doi.org/10.2867/8577134

Bijnens, G., Konings, J., & Putseys, A. (2025). Unveiling the J curve: How intangibles drive productivity mismeasurement (VIVES Discussion Paper, No. 102). https://feb.kuleuven.be/VIVES/publications/discussion_papers/files/vives-discussion-paper-102_unveiling-the-j-curve_how-intagibles-drive-productivity-mismeasurement.pdf

Brown, J. R., Fazzari, S. M., & Petersen, B. C. (2009). Financing innovation and growth: Cash flow, external equity, and the 1990s R&D boom. Journal of Finance, 64(1), 151–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2008.01431.x

Bui, H. Q., Hoang, K., Hoang, H. V., Huynh, A. N. Q., Vu, G. T. M., & Pham, T. D. P. (2025). National innovation systems and corporate intangible investment as a driver of sustainable development: A cross country study. Sustainable Development, 33(6), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70154

Chappell, N., & Jaffe, A. (2018). Intangible investment and firm performance. Review of Industrial Organization, 52(4), 509–559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11151-018-9629-9

Corrado, C., Haskel, J., Jona-Lasinio, C., & Iommi, M. (2018). Intangible investment in the EU and US before and since the Great Recession and its contribution to productivity growth. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 2(1), 11–36. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v2i1.205

Corrado, C., Haskel, J., Jona-Lasinio, C., & Iommi, M. (2022). Intangible capital and modern economies. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 36(3), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.36.3.3

Corrado, C., Hulten, C., & Sichel, D. (2009). Intangible capital and US economic growth. Review of Income and Wealth, 55(3), 661–685. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.2009.00343.x

Crass, D., Licht, G., & Peters, B. (2014). Intangible assets and investments at the sector level: Empirical evidence for Germany (ZEW Discussion Paper, No. 14 049). http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp14049.pdf

Crouzet, N., & Eberly, J. C. (2019). Understanding weak capital investment: The role of market concentration and intangibles (NBER Working Paper, No. 25869). https://www.nber.org/papers/w25869

David, J., & Gourio, F. (2023). The rise of intangible investment and the transmission of monetary policy. Chicago Fed Letter, 482. https://www.chicagofed.org/publications/chicago-fed-letter/2023/482

Demmou, L., Franco, G., & Stefanescu, I. (2020). Productivity and finance: The intangible assets channel: A firm level analysis (OECD Working Papers, No. 1596). https://doi.org/10.1787/d13a21b0-en

Dierickx, I., & Cool, K. (1989). Asset stock accumulation and sustainability of competitive advantage. Management Science, 35(12), 1504–1511. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.35.12.1504

Dimakopoulou, V., Sakkas, S., & Varthalitis, P. (2024). Intangible investment during the Global Financial Crisis in the EU. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4889967

Dow, J., Han, J., & Sangiorgi, F. (2024). The short-termism trap: Catering to informed in-vestors with limited horizons. Journal of Financial Economics, 159, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2024.103884

Döttling, R., & Ratnovski, L. (2023). Monetary policy and intangible investment. Journal of Monetary Economics, 134, 53–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmoneco.2022.11.001

Dutz, M. A., Kannebley, S., Scarpelli, M., & Sharma, S. (2012). Measuring intangible assets in an emerging market economy: An application to Brazil (World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, No. 6142). https://ssrn.com/abstract=2116140

Duval, R., Hong, G. H., & Timmer, Y. (2017). Financial frictions and the great productivity slowdown (IMF Working Paper, WP/17/129). https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484300701.001

European Commission. (2014). Flash Eurobarometer 369 (Investing in Intangibles: Economic Assets and Innovation Drivers for Growth)(ZA5881; Version 1.0.0) [Data set]. GESIS, Cologne. https://doi.org/10.4232/1.11908

Falk, M. (2013). New empirical findings for international investment in intangible assets (WWWforEurope Working Paper, No. 30). https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/125688/1/WWWforEurope_WPS_no030_MS61.pdf

Friesenbichler, K. S., & Kügler, A. (2026). Short and medium-term effects of intangible capital on firm growth: Firm-level evidence from Austrian microdata. Empirica, 53, 113–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10663-025-09666-y

Garcia-Macia, D. (2017). The financing of ideas and the great deviation (IMF Working Paper, WP/17/176). https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484311134.001

Ghosal, V., & Loungani, P. (2000). The differential impact of uncertainty on investment in small and large businesses. Review of Economics and Statistics, 82(2), 338–343. https://doi.org/10.1162/003465300558722

Goodridge, P., Haskel, J., & Wallis, G. (2016). UK intangible investment and growth: New measures of UK investment in knowledge assets and intellectual property rights (IPO Research Paper, 2016/3). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-intangible-investment-and-growth

Hall, B. H., & Lerner, J. (2009). The financing of R&D and innovation (NBER Working Paper, No. 15325). https://www.nber.org/papers/w15325

Haskel, J. (2012). Growth, innovation and intangible investment. LSE Growth Commission–Institute for Government. https://cep.lse.ac.uk/LSE-Growth-Commission/files/LSEGC-haskel-growth-innovation-investment.pdf

Haskel, J., & Westlake, S. (2017). Capitalism without capital: The rise of the intangible economy. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvc77hhj

Jánossy, F. (1975). A gazdasági fejlődés trendvonala és a helyreállítási periódusok. Magvető.

Katona, K. (2021). A vállalati innováció fejlesztésének és elterjedésének hatása a magyar vállalatok teljesítményére. Közgazdasági Szemle, 68(klsz.), 36–51. https://doi.org/10.18414/KSZ.2021.k.36

Kaus, W., Slavtchev, V., & Zimmermann, M. (2023). Intangible capital and productivity: Firm-level evidence from German manufacturing. Oxford Economic Papers, 76(4), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1093/oep/gpad051

Le Mouel, M. (2022). Measuring the intangible economy to address policy challenges (Bruegel Working Paper, No. 03/2022). https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/264205

Nguyen-Anh, T., Hoang-Duc, C., Nguyen-Thi-Thuy, L., Vu-Tien, V., Nguyen-Dinh, U., & To-The, N. (2022). Do intangible assets stimulate firm performance? Empirical evidence from Vietnamese agriculture, forestry and fishery SMEs. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100194

Rappaport, A. (1986). Creating shareholder value: The new standard for business perfor-mance. Simon and Schuster Publishing Group.

Schumpeter, J. (1942). Capitalism, socialism and democracy. Harper & Brothers.

Seo, H. S., & Kim, Y. (2020). Intangible assets investment and firms’ performance: Evidence from SMEs in Korea. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(2), 421–445. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2020.12022

Szalavetz, A. (2011). Innovációvezérelt növekedés? Közgazdasági Szemle, 58(4), 460–476. https://ideas.repec.org/a/ksa/szemle/1243.html

Thum-Thysen, A., Voigt, P., Bilbao-Osorio, B., Maier, C., & Ognyanova, D. (2019). Invest-ment dynamics in Europe: Distinct drivers and barriers for investing in intangible versus tangible assets? Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 51, 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strueco.2019.06.010

Yang, S., & Zhou, Y. (2017). Determinants and impacts of intangible investment: Evidence from Chinese private manufacturing firms (ANU Working Paper, No. 649). https://www.cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/econ/wp649.pdf

Published
2026-05-18
How to Cite
SzabóZ. (2026). The characteristics and incentives of corporate intangible investment plans in Hungary. Hungarian Economic Review, 73(5), 567-586. https://doi.org/10.18414/KSZ.2026.5.567
Section
Műhely