This paper presents a model of economic growth where products are invented and patented, and where production involves fixed costs at the location of the plant. The model is used to assess the effects of instantaneous integration of a small, autarkic country into a larger economy on a) consumer welfare and b) the distribution of income. Consumer welfare in the small country rises immediately because of newly available products. Additionally, the welfare of all consumers rises due to economies of scale at the firm level. These latter benefits are gradually replaced by benefits stemming from newly invented products. The distribution of income changes due to a) the asymmetric distribution of patent ownership and b) changes in the ratio’s of skilled to unskilled workers.
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Paper provided by DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade in its series DEGIT Conference Papers with number
c009_024.
Find related papers by JEL classification: F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration O41 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
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