Between spilling over and boiling down: network-mediated spillovers, local knowledge base and productivity in European regions

Nicola Cortinovis and Frank Oort

Journal of Economic Geography, 2019, vol. 19, issue 6, 1233-1260

Abstract: Productivity across European regions is related to three types of networks that mediate R&D-related knowledge spillovers: trade, co-patenting and geographical proximity. Both our panel and instrumental variable estimations for European regions suggest that network relations are crucial sources of R&D spillovers, but with potentially different features. Both import and co-patenting relations affect local productivity directly, but spillovers from innovation-leading regions are effective only when they are import-mediated and when recipient regions have a solid knowledge base. From a policy perspective, this may frustrate recent European policy initiatives, such as Smart Specialization, which are designed to benefit all regions in Europe.

Keywords: Productivity; economic networks; trade; knowledge; regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O32 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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