Spatial Clusters in EU Productivity Growth

In the last year, a central issue in regional economic growth debate has been represented by the empirical analysis of Verdoorn's law related to the long‐term dynamic relationship between the rate of growth in output and the productivity growth due to increasing returns. Several papers have tested Verdoorn's law on European countries as well as many other world economies. Recently, attempts have been made to provide foundations for a spatial version of the original law specification. The main contributions were dedicated to the inclusion of spatial dependence in the economic model. Surprisingly, in the literature on Verdoom's law the analysis of the spatial heterogeneity is not often considered. The aim of this paper is the regional analysis of the spatial dependence and heterogeneity in Verdoorn's law, identifying spatial regimes that can be interpreted as clusters of productivity growth in European regions at NUTS 2 level. To pursue this objective, an optimization algorithm for the identification of groups is used. This constitutes a modified version of Simulated Annealing.     

Innovation Expectations and Patenting in Private and Public R&D Projects

In this paper, we investigate how the innovation expectations of public financiers are related to realized patents. The analysis is based on a novel data set of collaborative R&D projects subsidized by the Finnish Agency of Technology and Innovation (Tekes) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) during the period 2000–2004. Innovation expectations are measured using reports submitted by Tekes experts during ex ante assessments of projects. Our probit model results reveal that Tekes' patent expectations are positively related to realized patents for projects led by private firms (but not by public organizations). For large organizations, Tekes' innovation expectations are better at predicting patenting.     

Innovation and the Growth of Cities

Innovation and the Growth of Cities
Edited by Zoltan J. Acs, Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. 1702. 247 pp. $100.00 (Cloth). ISBN 1‐84064‐936‐4.
Reviewed by Anneliese Vance
Department of Geography
State University of New York     

Innovation Prone and Innovation Averse Societies: Economic Performance in Europe

Although it is commonly accepted that investing in technology and research and development (R&D) is a basic catalyst for the genesis of economic activity, there is less consensus on the spatial significance and returns of the R&D effort for regional and local economies. It is often argued that innovation resulting from allocating local resources to R&D is likely to spill over to other areas, especially in the framework of open national economies. Hence, the incentive to free-ride increases at the subnational level. This paper shows, however, that in the Western European regional context, regions with higher resources devoted to R&D tend to grow at a greater pace than the remaining spaces. Nevertheless, the passage from R&D to innovation and growth is not achieved in a similar way across Europe. Local social conditions play an important role in the formation of what can be defined as ‘innovation prone’ and ‘innovation averse’ societies. Innovation prone regions are those featured by a weak social filter, which facilitates the transformation of innovation into growth. Conversely, regions burdened by rigid labor markets, shortage of skills, outward migration of able individuals, and an aging of the workforce are less prone to assimilate innovation and to transform it into economic activity. They make up the innovation averse societies in Europe.     

Economic Stability and Economic Growth in Rural Communities: Dimensions Relevant to Local Employment Creation Strategy

Approaches for analyzing employment stability with aggregated data for SICs in large regions or major metropolitan areas are misleading indicators of the impact of manufacturing growth in rural areas. Performance of moderate-sized individual establishments seriously impact total employment variation in small-employment-sized rural communities, requiring analysis of the determinants of employment stability of these establishments. Aggregate SIC performance and most conventional criteria for judging probable stability appear to provide very limited predictability for individual firm performance. However, manufacturing development appears generally to have desirable effects on community-wide employment stability.     

Integrating Civil Society and Economic Growth in Appalachia

ABSTRACT Building from a framework that incorporates ideas from the civil society perspective into market‐based sociological models of economic growth, this article examines the effects of three measures of civic engagement on measure of economic growth in Appalachian counties during the 1990–1995 period. The analysis shows that net of other market competition‐based measures, civic engagement does have a net positive impact on economic growth (increases in private non‐farm employment, private establishment, per capita income, earnings, etc.). The three measures of civic engagement are (1) percent of population in civically engaged denominations (1990), (2) number of national associations per capita (1990), (3) and number of third places per capita (1990). All three measures have significant positive effects in one or more models. Percent in civically engaged denominations has the most consistent effects. Implications are discussed.     

信息化建设与经济增长关系的实证研究

本文以顺义区为例,利用修正的柯布-道格拉斯生产函数和现代计量方法分析资金、劳动力和信息技术进步这三个生产要素对区域经济增长的贡献和影响,并对顺义区经济增长的稳定性进行了验证。结果表明信息化建设对地区经济增长具有显著的推动作用,能有效促进当地经济的增长。     

兰州-白银经济区高新技术产业集聚与区域经济增长关系的实证分析

以兰州-白银经济区的高新技术产业为研究对象,依据2000—2011年的时间序列数据,采用区位熵指数对高新技术产业的集聚水平进行测度,并在此基础上,对高新技术产业的集聚与经济增长的关系进行协整及格兰杰因果检验,进而构造VAR模型并得到脉冲响应函数。实证结果表明：兰白经济区的高新技术产业已经形成了集聚且集聚度呈稳定增长的趋势,同时,高新技术产业的集聚与经济增长之间存在长期的均衡关系。最后分析得出兰白经济区的高新技术产业集聚是一种政府主导型的集聚模式,并提出了相应的政策建议。     

International Comparison of the Relationship between Outflow FDI and Economic Growth and Its Inspiration to China

International direct investment improved the world economic development greatly, and the level of capital transaction of a country indicates its degree of integration into world economy. In China, there exists a serious unbalance between outflow FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and inflow FDI, and the former is of a extremely small scale. The relationship between outflow FDI and a country's economic development, as well as the relationship between outflow FDI and TFP (Total Factor Productivity) growth rate is analyzed with international comparison and econometrics model. The results show that a obvious positive correlation between outflow FDI and GNP exists, and outfolw FDI of a country improves its GNP growth a lot. Meanwhile, as to the contribution elasticity to TFP, outflwo FDI is much higher than international trade. It is revealed that China not only has necessities, but also has great potentialities to invest in foreign countries. Finally some suggestions are put forward.     

Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth in Central and Eastern Europe

The majority of the literature on fiscal decentralization has tended to stress that the greater capacity of decentralized governments to tailor policies to local preferences and to be innovative in the provision of policies and public services, the greater the potential for economic efficiency and growth. There is, however, little empirical evidence to substantiate this claim. In this paper we examine, using a panel data approach with dynamic effects, the relationship between the level of fiscal decentralization and economic growth rates across 16 Central and Eastern European countries over the 1990–2004 period. Our findings suggest that, contrary to the majority view, there is a significant negative relationship between two out of three fiscal decentralization indicators included in the analysis and economic growth. However, the use of different time lags allows us to nuance this negative view and show that long‐term effects vary depending on the type of decentralization undertaken in each of the countries considered. While expenditure at and transfers to sub‐national tiers of government are negatively correlated with economic growth, taxes assigned at the sub‐national level evolve from having a significantly negative to a significantly positive correlation with the national growth rate. This supports the view that sub‐national governments with their own revenue source respond better to local demands and promote greater economic efficiency     

辽宁省种子检验工作的现状与对策

随着我国加入WTO，我国种子产业进入了全新的发展时期。种子检验工作作为种子产业化链条的关键环节，如何在新的形势下，充分发挥种子质量控制、管理及监督职能，确保粮食生产安全用种，显得尤为重要。针对我省目前种子检验工作现状及存在的问题，……     

中国农村收入分配、经济增长的贫困变动效应

为研究收入分配和经济增长的贫困变动效应,探寻两者之间可能存在的规律性及其相互抵消程度。论文基于洛伦茨曲线的贫困弹性建立分析框架,采用《中国统计年鉴》1990—2006年农村居民收入分组和人均收入的面板数据,运用POCVAL软件进行实证分析。研究结果表明,贫困弹性是随着最初的贫困水平和收入分配状况的变化而变化。特别是当经济发展到一定阶段,收入分配政策对于贫困的进一步减少至关重要。同时,收入分配状况的改善也可以为经济增长创造一个更加良好的社会环境,通过经济增长和收入分配政策的理想结合,更好地减少贫困。     

Taxation of Natural Resources and State Economic Growth

The econometric evidence that has been brought to bear on the question of how state and local taxes affect the location decision of firms among competing states or regions is surprisingly sparse and often contradictory. In this research the question is addressed from a different empirical perspective than has been considered heretofore. Using a pool of cross-section and time-series data, the trends in employment and capital formation in three energy-rich states are analyzed during a period when these states substituted energy-related revenues for more traditional forms of taxation. McLure's general equilibrium model of regional taxation and industrial location forms the theoretical basis for the empirical analysis. The findings suggest that relative changes in state and local taxes on products and labor are of more significance as a location determinant than relative changes in the state corporate income tax.     

Urban Encroachment,Economic Growth,and Land Values in the Urban Fringe

ABSTRACT This paper examines the impact of the local and national economy, and the rate of return on competing assets, on land prices in the urban fringe of the Scattle Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA). The data are derived from a set of nearly all land sales in King County Washington between 1969 and 1984. The size of the data set allows for the neutralization of site specific influences by examining the monthly mean price of unimproved land. The results show that, like other traditional investments, land prices are sensitive to factors such as inflation and interest rates. Population pressures and local economic conditions influence urban fringe prices as well. Land further from the urban core is less sensitive to these impacts, presumably because it is too far away from economic activity to be considered for its value in future urban uses.     

Analysis on the Track of Chinese Financial Development and Economic Growth

This paper discussed the long-run relationship between financial development and economic growth of china is examined in a multivariate vector auto regression (VAR) framework. And validate whether the economics of china according with hypothesis brought forward by the economist of Yale University Hugh T. Patrick. And the hypothesis was from two theories; one is "demand-following"; the other is "supply-leading". The conclusion of this paper examines the economic growth of China is true of the hypothesis.     

The Situation for Quinoa and Its Production in Southern Bolivia: From Economic Success to Environmental Disaster

In Bolivia, one of the world’s most important centres of plant domestication, there is growing awareness of the value of native Andean crops, both for domestic consumption and for market sale – notably the virtually boom‐like consumer demand for quinoa around the world. The southern altiplano of Bolivia, south of Oruro, relies almost purely on the production of quinoa and breeding of llamas, which have also been selected as the two commodities of priority to the government to increase the income of the country. Presently, however, quinoa is facing increasing problems in production, owing to its increasing export market and price. The flat areas around the salt desert of the southern altiplano, previously characterized by natural vegetation fed by the llamas, are being increasingly sown with quinoa, hence transformed into deserts, because intensive cultivation methods make the soil loose its fertility. Possible solutions to these problems will require extensive efforts in the south, in addition to various strategies, which also include other parts of the Bolivian altiplano and a strengthened focus on other Andean crops.     

Knowledge Networks in an Uncompetitive Region: SME Innovation and Growth

Knowledge networks are now recognised as a crucial element underlying the economic success and competitiveness of geographic locations, in particular regions. The aim of this paper is to assess the types of knowledge networks utilised and formed by knowledge‐based small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the relatively uncompetitive regional setting of Yorkshire and Humberside in the UK. It explores the relationship between knowledge networking activity and the levels of innovation and growth achieved by these SMEs. It is found that SMEs tend to utilise and value more knowledge networks with actors outside the region. However, more innovative SMEs possess a balance of inside and outside the region knowledge networks. Knowledge networking activity is sometimes negatively associated with growth, suggesting that networks with certain actors, such as public sector support agencies, may be formed by SMEs when they are facing competitive pressures. In terms of policy implications, the paper recommends a shift from the cluster policies implemented by many regional authorities to a regional innovation systems approach, focusing equally on the regional and more global dimensions of knowledge networks. It is concluded that regional public policy makers need to renew their efforts to support SMEs in creating and sustaining their knowledge networks.     

An Estimate on the Casual Relation between Financial Development and Economic Growth

This paper firstly discusses the relationship among money,real interest rate and economic growth of China. Then estimates the causality between financial development and economic growth by Bivariate Granger Casual Relation Test. The conclusion suggests that economic growth stimulate financial development more in China.