IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/empeco/v53y2017i3d10.1007_s00181-016-1153-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovation and ICT use in the EU: an analysis of regional drivers

Author

Listed:
  • Margarita Billon

    (Autonomous University of Madrid)

  • Rocio Marco

    (Autonomous University of Madrid)

  • Fernando Lera-Lopez

    (Public University of Navarra)

Abstract

Innovation and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) are key areas for the European Cohesion Policy. Studies available at the regional level explore innovation and ICT use incorporating different variables, while those investigating ICT use mainly focus on that of households. This paper investigates the existence of common factors for innovation and ICT at the regional level, considering not only ICT use by households but also that of firms. Using factorial and spatial regression analysis, we find that although ICT use and innovation are mainly explained by different variables, knowledge-intensive services and the percentage of population aged 15–64 are common to all of them. In addition, ICT use by households and ICT use by firms are basically driven by different factors. Government quality is the main factor explaining ICT use at home, while ICT use by firms is mostly driven by employment in knowledge-intensive services. R&D is the main variable explaining innovation. We also find positive spatial effects, which are particularly notable in ICT use by households. The results stress the importance of promoting specialization strategies based on the knowledge economy that may contribute to creating synergies between innovation and ICT use in different environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Margarita Billon & Rocio Marco & Fernando Lera-Lopez, 2017. "Innovation and ICT use in the EU: an analysis of regional drivers," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 1083-1108, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:53:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s00181-016-1153-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-016-1153-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00181-016-1153-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00181-016-1153-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Storper & Anthony J. Venables, 2004. "Buzz: face-to-face contact and the urban economy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 351-370, August.
    2. Andres Rodriguez-Pose & Riccardo regstdcenzi, 2008. "Research and Development, Spillovers, Innovation Systems, and the Genesis of Regional Growth in Europe," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 51-67.
    3. Prieger, James E., 2013. "The broadband digital divide and the economic benefits of mobile broadband for rural areas," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 483-502.
    4. Geroski, P. A., 2000. "Models of technology diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4-5), pages 603-625, April.
    5. Riccardo Crescenzi & Andrés Rodriguez-Pose & Michael Storper, 2007. "The territorial dynamics of innovation: a Europe-United States comparative analysis," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(6), pages 673-709, November.
    6. Schleife, Katrin, 2006. "Regional versus individual aspects of the digital divide in Germany," Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics 177, Darmstadt University of Technology, Department of Law and Economics.
    7. Nicholas Bloom & Mark Schankerman & John Van Reenen, 2013. "Identifying Technology Spillovers and Product Market Rivalry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 81(4), pages 1347-1393, July.
    8. Schleife, Katrin, 2009. "Regional Versus Individual Aspects of the Digital Divide in Germany," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 77425, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    9. Shiferaw Gurmu & Fidel Pérez-Sebastián, 2008. "Patents, R&D and lag effects: evidence from flexible methods for count panel data on manufacturing firms," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 507-526, November.
    10. Gaspar, Jess & Glaeser, Edward L., 1998. "Information Technology and the Future of Cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 136-156, January.
    11. Schleife, Katrin, 2006. "Regional Versus Individual Aspects of the Digital Divide in Germany," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 35976, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    12. Masahisa Fujita & Tomoya Mori, 2005. "Frontiers of the New Economic Geography," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 84(3), pages 377-405, August.
    13. Elhanan Helpman & Manuel Trajtenberg, 1996. "Diffusion of General Purpose Technologies," NBER Working Papers 5773, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Rajagopal, 2014. "Organizations and Innovation," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 3, pages 58-86, Palgrave Macmillan.
    15. Danielle Galliano & Pascale Roux & Nicolas Soulié, 2011. "ICT Intensity of Use and the Geography of Firms," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(1), pages 67-86, January.
    16. Schleife, Katrin, 2006. "Regional versus individual aspects of the digital divide in Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 06-085, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    17. Rosina Moreno & Raffaele Paci & Stefano Usai, 2006. "Innovation Clusters in the European Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(9), pages 1235-1263, May.
    18. Thomas Hempell, 2005. "Does experience matter? innovations and the productivity of information and communication technologies in German services," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 277-303.
    19. Diego A. Comin & Mikhail Dmitriev & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2012. "The Spatial Diffusion of Technology," NBER Working Papers 18534, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Schleife, Katrin, 2010. "What really matters: Regional versus individual determinants of the digital divide in Germany," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 173-185, February.
    21. Mikel Navarro & Juan José Gibaja & Beñat Bilbao-Osorio & Ricardo Aguado, 2009. "Patterns of Innovation in EU-25 Regions: A Typology and Policy Recommendations," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 27(5), pages 815-840, October.
    22. Vicente, María Rosalía & López, Ana Jesús, 2011. "Assessing the regional digital divide across the European Union-27," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 220-237, April.
    23. Sandra Vinciguerra & Koen Frenken & Jarno Hoekman & Frank van Oort, 2011. "European infrastructure networks and regional innovation in science-based technologies," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 517-537.
    24. Rinaldo Evangelista & Paolo Guerrieri & Valentina Meliciani, 2014. "The economic impact of digital technologies in Europe," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(8), pages 802-824, November.
    25. Charlie Karlsson & Gunther Maier & Michaela Trippl & Iulia Siedschlag & Gavin Murphy, 2010. "ICT and Regional Economic Dynamics: A Literature Review," JRC Research Reports JRC59920, Joint Research Centre.
    26. Laura de Dominicis & Raymond J.G.M. Florax & Henri L.F. de Groot, 2013. "Regional clusters of innovative activity in Europe: are social capital and geographical proximity key determinants?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(17), pages 2325-2335, June.
    27. Mario A. Maggioni & Mario Nosvelli & Teodora Erika Uberti, 2007. "Space versus networks in the geography of innovation: A European analysis," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 86(3), pages 471-493, August.
    28. Lydia Greunz, 2004. "Industrial structure and innovation," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/9461, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    29. Henri L.F. de Groot & Peter Nijkamp & Roger R. Stough (ed.), 2004. "Entrepreneurship and Regional Economic Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3478.
    30. Tappeiner, Gottfried & Hauser, Christoph & Walde, Janette, 2008. "Regional knowledge spillovers: Fact or artifact?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 861-874, June.
    31. Buesa, Mikel & Heijs, Joost & Baumert, Thomas, 2010. "The determinants of regional innovation in Europe: A combined factorial and regression knowledge production function approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 722-735, July.
    32. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    33. Margarita Billón & Roberto Ezcurra & Fernando Lera-López, 2008. "The Spatial Distribution of the Internet in the European Union: Does Geographical Proximity Matter?," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 119-142, January.
    34. Nicholas Charron & Lewis Dijkstra & Victor Lapuente, 2014. "Regional Governance Matters: Quality of Government within European Union Member States," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(1), pages 68-90, January.
    35. Rosenberg, Nathan, 1972. "Factors affecting the diffusion of technology," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 3-33.
    36. Margarita Billon & Roberto Ezcurra & Fernando Lera‐López, 2009. "Spatial Effects in Website Adoption by Firms in European Regions," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 54-84, March.
    37. Josep Domenech & Victor Martinez-Gomez & Francisco Mas-Verdú, 2014. "Location and adoption of ICT innovations in the agri-food industry," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(6), pages 421-424, April.
    38. Lydia Greunz, 2004. "Industrial structure and innovation - evidence from European regions," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 563-592, December.
    39. Michael Demoussis & Nicholas Giannakopoulos, 2006. "Facets of the digital divide in Europe: Determination and extent of internet use," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 235-246.
    40. Fernando Lera-Lopez & Margarita Billon & Maria Gil, 2011. "Determinants of Internet use in Spain," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 127-152.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rudra P. Pradhan & Ajoy K. Sarangi & Ashim Sabat, 2022. "The effect of ICT development on innovation: evidence from G-20 countries," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(2), pages 361-371, June.
    2. Fernández-Bonilla, Fernando & Gijón, Covadonga & De la Vega, Bárbara, 2022. "E-commerce in Spain: Determining factors and the importance of the e-trust," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1).
    3. Radka MacGregor Pelikánová & Robert K. MacGregor, 2020. "The EU Puzzling CSR Regime and the Confused Perception by Ambassadors of Luxury Fashion Businesses: A Case Study from Pařížská," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(3), pages 74-108.
    4. Radka MacGregor Pelikánová, 2019. "R&D Expenditure and Innovation in the EU and Selected Member States," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 15(1), pages 13-34.
    5. N. A. Kravchenko & S. R. Khalimova & A. I. Ivanova, 2021. "Regional Factors in the Development of the ICT Sector in Russia," Regional Research of Russia, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 91-100, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Margarita Billon & Fernando Lera-Lopez & Rocio Marco, 2016. "ICT use by households and firms in the EU: links and determinants from a multivariate perspective," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(4), pages 629-654, November.
    2. Matthias Siller & Christoph Hauser & Janette Walde & Gottfried Tappeiner, 2015. "Measuring regional innovation in one dimension: More lost than gained?," Working Papers 2015-14, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    3. Hauser, Christoph & Siller, Matthias & Schatzer, Thomas & Walde, Janette & Tappeiner, Gottfried, 2018. "Measuring regional innovation: A critical inspection of the ability of single indicators to shape technological change," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 43-55.
    4. Marrocu, Emanuela & Paci, Raffaele & Usai, Stefano, 2013. "Proximity, networking and knowledge production in Europe: What lessons for innovation policy?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(8), pages 1484-1498.
    5. Rosina Moreno & Ernest Miguélez, 2012. "A Relational Approach To The Geography Of Innovation: A Typology Of Regions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 492-516, July.
    6. Ventura, Eva & Satorra, Albert, 2015. "A multiple indicator model for panel data: an application to ICT area-level variation," 26th European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2015 127191, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    7. Ning, Lutao & Wang, Fan & Li, Jian, 2016. "Urban innovation, regional externalities of foreign direct investment and industrial agglomeration: Evidence from Chinese cities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 830-843.
    8. Riccardo Crescenzi, 2014. "The evolving dialogue between Innovation and Economic Geography. From physical distance to non-spatial proximities and 'integrated' frameworks," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1408, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Mar 2014.
    9. Ventura, Eva & Satorra, Albert, 2015. "A multiple indicator model for panel data: An application to ICT area-level variation," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 830-847.
    10. Eva Ventura & Albert Satorra, 2014. "A multiple indicator model for panel data: an application to ICT area-level variation," Economics Working Papers 1419, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    11. Kleoniki Kalapouti & Konstantinos Petridis & Chrisovalantis Malesios & Prasanta Kumar Dey, 2020. "Measuring efficiency of innovation using combined Data Envelopment Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling: empirical study in EU regions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 294(1), pages 297-320, November.
    12. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Riccardo Crescenzi, 2008. "Mountains in a flat world: why proximity still matters for the location of economic activity," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 1(3), pages 371-388.
    13. Jin, Peizhen & Mangla, Sachin Kumar & Song, Malin, 2021. "Moving towards a sustainable and innovative city: Internal urban traffic accessibility and high-level innovation based on platform monitoring data," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    14. Marta Foddi & Raffaele Paci & Alessandra Colombelli, 2011. "The knowledge regions in the enlarged Europe," ERSA conference papers ersa11p1140, European Regional Science Association.
    15. Tubiana, Matteo & Miguelez, Ernest & Moreno, Rosina, 2022. "In knowledge we trust: Learning-by-interacting and the productivity of inventors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    16. Christ, Julian P., 2009. "The geography and co-location of European technology-specific co-inventorship networks," Violette Reihe: Schriftenreihe des Promotionsschwerpunkts "Globalisierung und Beschäftigung" 31/2010, University of Hohenheim, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Evangelisches Studienwerk.
    17. Crescenzi, Riccardo & Nathan, Max & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2016. "Do inventors talk to strangers? On proximity and collaborative knowledge creation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 177-194.
    18. Yuandi Wang & Lutao Ning & Jian Li & Martha Prevezer, 2016. "Foreign Direct Investment Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation in Chinese Regions: The Role of Regional Industrial Specialization and Diversity," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(5), pages 805-822, May.
    19. Neil Lee & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2013. "Original Innovation, Learnt Innovation and Cities: Evidence from UK SMEs," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(9), pages 1742-1759, July.
    20. Iammarino, Simona & McCann, Philip, 2006. "The structure and evolution of industrial clusters: Transactions, technology and knowledge spillovers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1018-1036, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ICT; Internet; Patents; Households; Firms; European regions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C38 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Classification Methdos; Cluster Analysis; Principal Components; Factor Analysis
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:53:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s00181-016-1153-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.