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on Economic Geography |
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Issue of 2026–03–16
five papers chosen by Andreas Koch, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung |
| By: | Anabela Marques Santos |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the spatial distribution of European Union research and innovation (R&I) funding, comparing excellence-oriented (Horizon 2020) and cohesion-oriented (Cohesion Policy) instruments, and analysing the role of governance level within Cohesion Policy. Using NUTS3-level data from the 2014-2020 programing period and spatial econometric models, we find that Horizon 2020 funding is concentrated in regions with high patent intensity, GDP per capita, and knowledge-intensive services, reinforcing cumulative advantage and contributing predominantly to within-country inequalities in access to funding. Cohesion R&I funding exhibits stronger between-country redistribution and integrates socio-economic vulnerability, though its internal allocation varies with governance: national management fosters clustering and positive spillovers, while regional management spreads resources more widely but intensifies intra-national competition. The results underscore the trade-offs inherent in EU R&I funding; policies that prioritise excellence, redistribution, or spatial coordination cannot maximise all objectives simultaneously, with governance choices mediating the balance between concentration, spillovers, and territorial equity. |
| Keywords: | R&I funding; Cohesion policy; Horizon 2020; Governance |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ict:wpaper:2013/404059 |
| By: | Nicola Cortinovis; Joric Donnet |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the impact of 3D printing (3DP), a technology popularly described as being able to “produce (almost) anything from anywhere†, on the spatial organization of production. Although some scholars have theorized that 3DP may affect the location of manufacturing, empirical evidence on its implications for the spatial footprint of production activities remains limited. This study investigates how 3DP adoption, together with pre- existing local capabilities, is associated with the export performance of countries in terms of 3D-printable products. Using trade data and exploiting a recent change in the Harmonized System classification, we identify 3DP adopting countries and analyze the relationship between 3DP adoption, pre-existing specializations and export outcomes. Our findings suggest that countries not previously specialized in a product but that adopted 3DP technologies tend to catch up with, and in some cases overtake, previously specialized countries, a result compatible with the idea of a shifting geography of production. We further examine the heterogeneity across product types and levels of complexity. This paper contributes to the literature by conceptually framing the spatial implications of 3DP, leveraging a novel empirical approach to capture 3DP adoption, and providing new empirical insights on the relation between 3DP and export performance. |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:egu:wpaper:2602 |
| By: | Luiz de Mello; Joao Tovar-Jalles |
| Abstract: | The decentralisation of policy functions to subnational levels of government need not be uniform across same-level jurisdictions and may instead be differentiated to reflect differences in administrative capacity, preferences and needs. This paper examines whether differentiated arrangements that grant greater policy authority non-uniformly to selected jurisdictions are systematically associated with stronger economic performance. Using harmonised regional data for middle-tier jurisdictions across OECD countries, the authors combine cross-sectional, within-region and dynamic event-study approaches. Cross-sectional evidence shows that regions with differentiated authority tend to exhibit higher income levels than standard jurisdictions, even after controlling for fundamentals. However, within-region and dynamic event-study analyses indicate no systematic improvement in economic outcomes following differentiation, suggesting that observed income premia reflect structural characteristics rather than causal effects of institutional reform. |
| Keywords: | fiscal decentralisation, asymmetric decentralisation, policy authority, economic performance, panel data |
| JEL: | H70 H77 R11 R58 |
| Date: | 2026–01–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ida:wpaper:wp2602 |
| By: | Nobuya FUKUGAWA |
| Abstract: | This study examines the commercialization of design rights owned by Japan’s public technology centers, Kohsetsushi, focusing on the factors associated with their subsequent implementation by firms. This study conceptualizes commercialization as a translation process in which protected designs are converted into executable specifications and realized through firm implementation. Using an unbalanced panel of Kohsetsushi, the empirical analysis incorporates regional industrial conditions and treats consultation activity as a key explanatory factor. Because consultation may be endogenous to local demand conditions, this study applies a two-stage control-function approach that first relates consultation intensity to organizational resources and local industrial conditions and then estimates its association with implementation outcomes. The results indicate that consultation is positively associated with subsequent implementation in many industries, although the strength of this association varies across sectors. They also show that industrial agglomeration matters: denser ecosystems tend to raise baseline implementation capacity but often weaken the marginal association of consultation, likely because firms can rely on alternative coordination and problem-solving channels. These findings suggest that public support for design right commercialization is likely to be more effective when consultation capacity is allocated selectively and organized through functional specialization. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:26021 |
| By: | Ferraresi, Massimiliano; Herrmann, Benedikt; Loiacono, Luisa; Rizzo, Leonzio; Secomandi, Riccardo |
| Abstract: | Can fiscal autonomy affect per capita income levels? We empirically investigate the impact of fiscal autonomy on per capita income through the proper use of local financial resources. Exploiting a natural experiment in Italy, we compare municipalities in the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano, which retain and manage almost all their tax revenues, with neighbouring municipalities in Lombardy and Veneto, where only a small fraction of revenues is autonomously managed. Using a spatial fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we estimate the effect of financial fiscal autonomy on per capita income. We address the potential endogeneity of financial fiscal autonomy with a dummy variable identifying municipalities that manage almost all their tax revenues. Our findings show that higher levels of local financial fiscal autonomy increase per capita income: a one percentage point rise in the financial fiscal autonomy raises per capita income by 0.2–0.7%. This effect is largely driven by higher municipal-level administrative quality in municipalities with stronger fiscal autonomy. The results highlight that granting fiscal autonomy can enhance local economic performance. |
| Keywords: | fiscal autonomy; decentralization; regression discontinuity |
| JEL: | H71 H72 R11 |
| Date: | 2026–06–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137552 |