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The impact of knowledge diffusion on economic growth across countries

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  • Perez-Trujillo, Manuel
  • Lacalle-Calderon, Maricruz

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine theoretically and empirically the impact of improvement in the capability to access innovation and knowledge on economic growth and convergence among countries. Our results, obtained using an augmented Solow-Swan growth model and panel data methodology with a sample of 138 countries for the period 1990–2014, show not only that improvement in the capability to access innovation and knowledge (proxied by percentage of internet users) has a positive impact on said economic growth, fostering the technological catch-up process for developing countries and accelerating the pattern of economic convergence, but also that this improvement has an even greater effect on developing countries when democracy is well developed, accelerating the pattern of economic convergence even further.

Suggested Citation

  • Perez-Trujillo, Manuel & Lacalle-Calderon, Maricruz, 2020. "The impact of knowledge diffusion on economic growth across countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:132:y:2020:i:c:s0305750x20301212
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.104995
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    Cited by:

    1. Nguyen, Canh Phuc & Doytch, Nadia, 2022. "The impact of ICT patents on economic growth: An international evidence," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5).
    2. Joël Cariolle & Yasmine Elkhateeb & Mathilde Maurel, 2022. "(Mis-)information technology: Internet use and perception of democracy in Africa," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 22010, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    3. Alvarado, Rafael & Cuesta, Lizeth & Kumar, Pavan & Rehman, Abdul & Murshed, Muntasir & Işık, Cem & Vega, Nora & Ochoa-Moreno, Santiago & Tillaguango, Brayan, 2022. "Impact of natural resources on economic progress: Evidence for trading blocs in Latin America using non-linear econometric methods," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Skare, Marinko & Soriano, Domingo Riberio, 2021. "Technological and knowledge diffusion link: An international perspective 1870–2019," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    5. Ge, Shuang & Liu, Xielin, 2022. "The role of knowledge creation, absorption and acquisition in determining national competitive advantage," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    6. Jarrín-V, Pablo & Falconí, Fander & Cango, Pedro & Ramos-Martin, Jesus, 2021. "Knowledge gaps in Latin America and the Caribbean and economic development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    7. Kangni Lyu & Shuwang Yang & Kun Zheng & Yao Zhang, 2023. "How Does the Digital Economy Affect Carbon Emission Efficiency? Evidence from Energy Consumption and Industrial Value Chain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-20, January.
    8. Emma Serwaa Obobisa & Haibo Chen & Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba & Claudia Nyarko Mensah, 2021. "The Causal Relationship Between China-Africa Trade, China OFDI, and Economic Growth of African Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, December.
    9. Bryan Hardy & Can Sever, 2023. "Innovation convergence," BIS Working Papers 1108, Bank for International Settlements.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic growth; Conditional convergence; Knowledge diffusion; Internet; Panel data model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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