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Skill Structure and Technology Structure: Innovation and Growth Implications

Author

Listed:
  • Pedro Mazeda Gil

    (Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto)

  • Oscar Afonso

    (Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto)

  • Paulo Brito

    (ISEG, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa)

Abstract

This paper builds an endogenous growth model of directed technical change with vertical and horizontal R&D and scale effects at the industry level to study an analytical mechanism that is consistent with the observed cross-country pattern in the skill structure, the technology structure and economic growth. We calibrate the model in order to uncover the effect of the skill structure on economic growth by studying how the former affects the technology structure. We find that the small positive elasticity of the economic growth rate regarding the ratio of high- to low-skilled workers that is empirically observed is explained by the combination of moderate levels of the market complexity costs related to vertical R&D and high entry costs in the high- vis-à-vis the low-tech sectors, which dampen the positive direct effect of the absolute productivity advantage of the high-skilled workers on growth

Suggested Citation

  • Pedro Mazeda Gil & Oscar Afonso & Paulo Brito, 2012. "Skill Structure and Technology Structure: Innovation and Growth Implications," FEP Working Papers 470, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    • Handle: RePEc:por:fepwps:470
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sochirca, Elena & Gil, Pedro Mazeda & Afonso, Oscar, 2014. "Technology structure and skill structure: Costly investment and complementarity effects quantification," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 172-189.
    2. Sochirca, Elena & Afonso, Óscar & Gil, Pedro Mazeda, 2013. "Technological-knowledge bias and the industrial structure under costly investment and complementarities," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 440-451.
    3. Pedro Mazeda Gil & Oscar Afonso & Paulo B. Vasconcelos, 2015. "Skill-Structure Shocks, the Share of the High-Tech Sector and Economic Growth Dynamics," FEP Working Papers 554, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    high-tech; low-tech; scale effects; skills; directed technical change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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