Is regional innovative activity path-dependent? : an empirical analysis for Germany

by Eckhardt Bode

Based on a standard idea-based model of endogenous growth we test the hypothesis that regional innovative activity is path-dependent, and investigate the geographical scope of knowledge spillovers. Using data for West-German regions, two alternative indicators of the stock of knowledge are specified. One is based on patent applications, the other on numbers of researchers. With patents as indicator the path-dependence hypothesis is rejected, and knowledge spillovers from neighboring regions appear to be irrelevant. With numbers of researchers as indicator, by contrast, there is evidence for both path-dependence, and the relevance of interregional knowledge spillovers. Several extensions and refinements are discussed which may help resolving these apparent contradictions.

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Year of publication:	July 2001
Authors:	Bode, Eckhardt
Publisher:	Kiel (Germany) : Kiel Institute of World Economics
Subject:	regional innovation \| knowledge spillovers \| path-dependence \| endogenous growth \| spatial econometrics \| Germany \| Innovation \| Region \| Innovationsdiffusion \| Innovation diffusion \| Spillover-Effekt \| Spillover effect \| Wissenstransfer \| Knowledge transfer \| Regionales Wachstum \| Regional growth \| Endogenes Wachstumsmodell \| Endogenous growth model \| Pfadabhängigkeit \| Path dependence \| Schätzung \| Estimation \| Patent \| Wissenschaftler \| Scientists \| Deutschland \| Erfindung \| Forschung und Entwicklung