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This paper analyses the economic impact of digital technologies in Europe distinguishing between different stages/domains of the digitalization process. A set of composite ICT indicators is used capturing the access to ICTs, the ability to use them and the digital empowerment of individuals in key social and economic domains. We argue that the mere accessibility to ICT facilities is only a pre-condition for moving towards a digitalized society, while the “level” and the “quality” in the use of these technologies, as well as the conditions facilitating or hampering digital empowerment, play a much more important role. Several transmission mechanisms from ICT access, usage and digital empowerment to key macroeconomic variables (namely labor productivity, GDP per capita, employment growth and the employment rate) are identified. The econometric evidence supports our hypotheses showing that the usage of ICT, and mostly digital empowerment, exert the major economic effects, especially on employment also favoring the inclusion of “disadvantaged” groups in the labor market. We conclude that digitalization may drive productivity and employment growth and that inclusive policies may effectively contribute to bridge the gap between the most favoured and the disadvantaged parts of the population, thus helping achieving the 2020 Europe targets

The main goal of this paper is to analyse the single and joint impact of regulation policies and research network policies on environmental innovation. Our theoretical framework combines the open eco-innovation mode approach with the Porter Hypothesis, by adapting them to the knowledge production function where green patents are the dependent variable. We focus on the factors that influence the production of green patents as a proxy of new "environmental" knowledge for a panel of European countries over time. We find that both marked-based regulation policies and participation in green European research networks (in particular with universities and public research centres) positively affect environmental innovation. Moreover, the two policy tools have a complementary effect. This suggests that the effectiveness of environmental regulation policies can be increased by combining them with appropriate innovation policies.

The article accounts for the determinants of sectoral specialisation in business services (BS) across the EU-27 regions as determined by: (i) agglomeration economies (ii) the region-specific structure of intermediate linkages (iii) technological innovation and knowledge intensity and (iv) the presence of these factors in neighbouring regions. The empirical analysis draws upon the REGIO panel database over the period 1999-2003. By estimating a Spatial Durbin Model, we find significant spatial effects in explaining regional specialisation in BS. Our findings show that, besides urbanisation economies, the spatial structure of intermediate sectoral linkages and innovation, in particular Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), are important determinants of specialisation in BS. The article contributes to the debate on the global versus local determinants of regional specialisation in BS by restating the importance of the regional sectoral structure besides that of urbanisation. We draw policy implications by rejecting the 'footloose hypothesis' for BS.

This paper investigates the impact of relationship lending on innovation (the probability to innovate and the intensity of innovation). Using a unique dataset providing detailed information on bank–firm relationships across European firms, we relate different proxies of relationship lending (soft information, long-lasting relationships, number of banks and share of the main bank) to innovation. We find a very strong and robust positive effect of ‘soft-information-intensive’ relationships, a less robust positive effect of long-lasting relationships and a negative effect of credit concentration as measured by the number of banking relationships. We also find that ‘soft-information-intensive’ relationships reduce credit rationing for innovative firms, while long-lasting relationships seem to favour innovation via other relational channels. These results raise some concern on the impact of screening processes based on automatic procedures, as those suggested by the Basel rules, on firms' capability to finance innovative activities in Europe

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. The paper accounts for the determinants of inward foreign direct investment in business services across the EU-27 regions. Together with the traditional variables considered in the literature (market size, market quality, agglomeration economies, labour cost, technology, human capital), we focus on the role of forward linkages with manufacturing sectors and other service sectors as attractors of business services FDI at the regional level. This hypothesis is based on the evidence that the growth of business services is mostly due to increasing intermediate demand by other services industries and by manufacturing industries and on the importance of geographical proximity for forward linkages in services. Terms of use: Documents inTo our knowledge, there are no studies investigating the role of forward linkages for the location of FDI. This paper aims therefore to fill this gap and add to the FDI literature by providing a picture of the specificities of the determinants of FDI in business services at the regional level.The empirical analysis draws upon the database fDi Markets, from which we selected projects having as a destination NUTS 2 European regions in the sectors of Business services over the period [2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008]. Data on FDI have been matched with data drawn from the Eurostat Regio database. Forward linkages have been constructed using the OECD Input/Output database.By estimating a negative binomial model, we find that regions specialised in those (manufacturing) sectors that are high potential users of business services attract more FDI than other regions. This confirms the role of geographical proximity for forward linkages in services and shows the role played by the existing structure of domestic production for the localisation of business service FDI, particularly in the case of manufacturing.

This paper explores the specialisation of European Union (EU) regions in key enabling technologies (KETs) and assesses whether or not being specialised in these technological areas has an effect on regional growth. The evidence presented shows that regions specialised in KETs are concentrated in central Europe; however, over the period taken into account (1996â\u80\u932011), less innovative and peripheral EU regions have been increasing their specialisation in these technological areas at the expense of the most advanced regions. There is also evidence that (spatial) diffusion of KETs often occurs across regions contiguous to each other. The results of the econometric estimations show that being specialised in KETs affects regional economic growth (per capita gross domestic product) and that this effect is stronger in the case of less innovative EU regions. Overall, these results hint at the pervasive nature and enabling role of KETs and demonstrate the importance for EU regions to target these technologies as part of their smart specialisation strategies

Meliciani V. (2006) Income and employment disparities across European regions: the role of national and spatial factors, Regional Studies 40, 75-91. The paper analyses the impact of trends in employment rates on income convergence across European regions looking at the evolution of entire distributions. Between 1988 and 1996, European regions have been characterized by a very slow process of income convergence across countries and by a lack of income convergence within countries. While trends in labour productivity have contributed to income convergence, trends in employment rates have had a diverging impact. Polarization in employment rates also appears to be the result of national factors and of the negative performance of Objective 1 regions more than the consequence of the emergence of geographical clusters that go beyond national borders. Regional convergence; Unemployment; Spatial correlation; Non-parametric estimation Meliciani V. (2006) Les ecarts de revenu et d'emploi a travers les regions d'Europe: l'importance des facteurs nationaux et geographiques, Regional Studies 40, 75-91. Cet article cherche a analyser l'impact des tendances dans le domaine des taux d'emploi sur la convergence des revenus a travers les regions d'Europe, etudiant l'evolution des distributions entieres. Il s'avere que, sur la periode allant de 1988 a 1996, les regions d'Europe se caracterisent par un processus tres lent de convergence des revenus a travers les pays et par un manque de convergence des revenus au sein des pays. Alors que les tendances dans le domaine de la productivite du travail ont contribue a la convergence des revenus, les tendances dans le domaine des taux d'emploi ont incite a la divergence. Il s'avere aussi que des taux d'emploi polarises resultent des facteurs nationaux et de la performance negative des regions classees sous l'Objectif 1 plutot que de la naissance des regroupements geographiques qui vont au-dela des frontieres nationales. Convergence regionale; Chomage; Correlation geographique; Estimation non-parametrique Meliciani V. (2006) Einkommen und Ungleichheiten bei Erwerbstatigkeit in europaischen Regionen. Die Rolle uberregionaler und raumlicher Faktoren, Regional Studies 40, 75-91. Dieser Aufsatz analysiert die Auswirkung von Tendenzen bei Erwerbstatigkeitsraten auf Einkommenskonvergenz in allen europaischen Regionen, und untersucht die Entwicklung ganzer Verteilungsmuster. Es zeigt sich, dass europaische Regionen sich im Zeitraum 1988-96 durch ein sehr langsames Fortschreiten der Einkommenskonvergenz der Lander und durch Mangel an Einkommenskonvergenz uberhaupt auszeichnen. Zwar haben Tendenzen der Arbeitsleistung zur Einkommenskonvergenz beigetragen, doch Tendenzen der Erwerbstatigkeitsraten haben sich davon abweichend ausgewirkt. Die Autoren stellen auch fest, dass Polarisation in Erwerbstatigkeitsraten anscheinend eher das Ergebnis uberregionaler Faktoren sowie der negativen Leistung der Objektive 1 Regionen ist als der Folge des Auftauchens geographischer Cluster, die sich uber Landesgrenzen ...