Work

Do scientific capabilities in specific domains matter for technological diversification in European regions?

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Do scientific capabilities in regions translate into technological leadership? This is one of the most pressing questions in academic and policy circles. This paper analyzes the matching of scientific and technological capabilities of 285 European regions. We build on patent and publication records to identify regions that lie both at the scientific and technological frontiers (strongholds), that are pure scientific leaders, pure technological leaders, or just followers in 18 domains. Our regional diversification model shows that local scientific capabilities in a domain are a strong predictor of the development of new technologies in that domain in regions. This finding is particularly relevant for the Smart Specialization policy because it implies that the analysis of domain-specific scientific knowledge can be a powerful tool to identify new diversification opportunities in regions.

Source: Research Policy

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2022.104594

Authors: Pierre-Alexandre Balland, Ron Boschma

Institutions: Utrecht University, University of Stavanger

Language: English

Topic: Regional Development and Policy

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,270