The geography of Circular Economy scientific knowledge in Italy

Massimiliano Coda Zabetta (), Francesco Quatraro and Alessandra Scandura ()
Additional contact information
Massimiliano Coda Zabetta: Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis, University of Turin, Italy, https://www.est.unito.it
Alessandra Scandura: Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis, University of Turin, Italy, https://www.est.unito.it

Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers from University of Turin

Abstract: This paper investigates the geography of scientific knowledge production and absorption in the Circular Economy (CE) domain across Italian regions over the period 1995–2024. While previous studies have focused on CE innovation adoption and technological development, little attention has been paid to the spatial distribution of basic scientific research underpinning CE. Using publication data from the OpenAlex database, we construct a comprehensive dataset of CE-related publications authored by researchers affiliated with Italian institutions. We analyze trends in CE research topics, regional and institutional contributions, and patterns of knowledge flows based on citation behavior. We classify regions into four categories – Strongholds, Producers, Absorbers, and Laggards – based on their publication and citation intensity, and examine how these roles evolve over time. Our analysis reveals significant regional disparities in CE scientific activity, with a few regions acting as strongholds of both knowledge production and use. The findings offer new insights into the territorial dynamics of CE research and provide a basis for place-based policy strategies to support green transitions.

Pages: 28 pages
Date: 2025-05
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.est.unito.it/do/home.pl/Download?doc=/ ... 25dip/wp_09_2025.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: The geography of Circular Economy scientific knowledge in Italy (2025)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uto:dipeco:202509

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers from University of Turin Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Laura Ballestra () and Cinzia Carlevaris ().