IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/uab/wprdea/wpdea0807.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Industrial districts, innovation and I-district effect: territory or industrial specialization?

Author

Listed:
  • Rafael Boix

    (Departament d'Economia Aplicada, Universitat Autonoma de)

Abstract

The I-district effect hypothesis establishes the existence of highly intense innovation in Marshallian industrial districts due to the presence of external localization economies. However, industrial districts are characterized by specific manufacturing specializations in such a way that this effect could be due to these dominant specializations. The objective of this research is to test whether the effect is explained by the conditions of the territory or by the industrial specialization and to provide additional evidence of the existence and causes of the highly intense innovation in industrial districts (I-district effect). The estimates for Spain of a fixed effects model interacting territory and industry suggest that the high innovative performance of industrial districts is maintained across sectors whereas the industrial specialization behaves differently depending on the type of local production system in which it is placed. The I-district effect is related to the conditions of the territory more than to the industrial specialization. The territory is a key variable in explaining the processes of innovation and should be considered a basic dimension in the design of innovation and industrial policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Boix, 2008. "Industrial districts, innovation and I-district effect: territory or industrial specialization?," Working Papers wpdea0807, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
    • Handle: RePEc:uab:wprdea:wpdea0807
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ecap.uab.cat/RePEc/doc/wpdea0807.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giulio Cainelli & Nicola De Liso, 2005. "Innovation in Industrial Districts: Evidence from Italy," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 383-398.
    2. Vittorio Galletto & Rafael Boix, 2008. "Marshallian Industrial Districts in Spain," SCIENZE REGIONALI, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2008(3), pages 29-52.
    3. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Productivity and R&D at the Firm Level," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 100-133, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Rafael Boix & Vittorio Galletto, 2009. "Innovation and Industrial Districts: A First Approach to the Measurement and Determinants of the I-District Effect," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(9), pages 1117-1133.
    5. Lisa De Propris, 2005. "Mapping local production systems in the UK: Methodology and application," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(2), pages 197-211.
    6. Zvi Griliches, 1984. "R&D, Patents, and Productivity," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gril84-1, March.
    7. C. Cindy Fan & Allen J. Scott, 2003. "Industrial Agglomeration and Development: A Survey of Spatial Economic Issues in East Asia and a Statistical Analysis of Chinese Regions," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(3), pages 295-319, July.
    8. Brasili, Cristina & Maccarini, Elisa Ricci, 2003. "Efficiency Of The Italian Agri-Food Industry: An Analysis Of "Districts Effect"," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25879, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. repec:fth:harver:1473 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Marco Bellandi, 1992. "The incentives to decentralized industrial creativity in local Systems of small firms," Revue d'Économie Industrielle, Programme National Persée, vol. 59(1), pages 99-110.
    11. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 287-343, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Mosahid Khan & Hélène Dernis, 2006. "Global Overview of Innovative Activities from the Patent Indicators Perspective," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2006/3, OECD Publishing.
    13. Cowan, Robin, 2004. "Network models of innovation and knowledge diffusion," Research Memorandum 016, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Allen, Robert C., 1983. "Collective invention," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 1-24, March.
    15. Russo, Margherita, 1985. "Technical change and the industrial district: The role of interfirm relations in the growth and transformation of ceramic tile production in Italy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(6), pages 329-343, December.
    16. Acs, Zoltan J & Audretsch, David B & Feldman, Maryann P, 1992. "Real Effects of Academic Research: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(1), pages 363-367, March.
    17. Leonardo Becchetti & Stefania Rossi, 2000. "The Positive Effect of Industrial District on the Export Performance of Italian Firms," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 16(1), pages 53-68, February.
    18. Leonardo Becchetti & Andrea De Panizza & Filippo Oropallo, 2007. "Role of Industrial District Externalities in Export and Value-added Performance: Evidence from the Population of Italian Firms," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(5), pages 601-621.
    19. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Issues in Assessing the Contribution of Research and Development to Productivity Growth," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 17-45, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Enrico Santarelli, 2004. "Patents and the Technological Performance of District Firms Evidence for the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2004-29, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    21. Alessandro Muscio, 2006. "Patterns of Innovation in Industrial Districts: An Empirical Analysis," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 291-312.
    22. Frank Moulaert & Farid Sekia, 2003. "Territorial Innovation Models: A Critical Survey," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 289-302.
    23. Roberta Rabellotti & Hubert Schmitz, 1999. "The Internal Heterogeneity of Industrial Districts in Italy, Brazil and Mexico," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 97-108.
    24. Joao Cerejeira da Silva, 2002. "Identification of the Portuguese industrial districts," NIMA Working Papers 17, Núcleo de Investigação em Microeconomia Aplicada (NIMA), Universidade do Minho.
    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. Karla Paola Jiménez Almaguer. & José Melchor Medina Quintero. & Nazlhe Faride Cheín Schekaibán, 2013. "The search for the development of clusters in Tamaulipas, Mexico: A case study," Economía: teoría y práctica, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, México, vol. 39(2), pages 89-117, Julio-Dic.
    2. Manuel Lopez-Estornell & Ignacio Fernández de Lucio, 2011. "Knowledge and performance in innovative firms: An analysis of district and inter-district effects," ERSA conference papers ersa11p361, European Regional Science Association.

    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. Antonelli, Cristiano & David, Paul, 2015. "The Generation of Knowledge as an Emergent System Property: An Introduction," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201540, University of Turin.
    2. David Audretsch & Marcel Hülsbeck & Erik Lehmann, 2012. "Regional competitiveness, university spillovers, and entrepreneurial activity," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 587-601, October.
    3. José García Quevedo, 2002. "The location of innovation. Universities and technological infrastructure in Spain," Working Papers 2002/2, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    4. Cohen, Wesley M., 2010. "Fifty Years of Empirical Studies of Innovative Activity and Performance," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 129-213, Elsevier.
    5. María José Ruiz-Ortega & Gloria Parra-Requena & Pedro Manuel García-Villaverde, 2016. "Do Territorial Agglomerations Still Provide Competitive Advantages? A Study of Social Capital, Innovation, and Knowledge," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(3), pages 259-290, July.
    6. Antonelli, Cristiano & Krafft, Jackie & Quatraro, Francesco, 2010. "Recombinant knowledge and growth: The case of ICTs," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 50-69, March.
    7. Nesta, Lionel, 2008. "Knowledge and productivity in the world's largest manufacturing corporations," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(3-4), pages 886-902, September.
    8. Choi, Mincheol & Lee, Chang-Yang, 2021. "Technological diversification and R&D productivity: The moderating effects of knowledge spillovers and core-technology competence," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    9. Grigorii V. Teplykh, 2018. "Innovations and productivity: the shift during the 2008 crisis," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 53-83, January.
    10. Mulligan, Kevin & Lenihan, Helena & Doran, Justin & Roper, Stephen, 2022. "Harnessing the science base: Results from a national programme using publicly-funded research centres to reshape firms’ R&D," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(4).
    11. Li, Xibao, 2011. "Sources of External Technology, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Capability in Chinese State-Owned High-Tech Enterprises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1240-1248, July.
    12. Tian Xiong, 2022. "Mergers and Acquisitions by Chinese Multinationals in Europe: The Effect on the Innovation Performance of Acquiring Firms," EIIW Discussion paper disbei310, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    13. Hall, Bronwyn H. & Mairesse, Jacques & Mohnen, Pierre, 2010. "Measuring the Returns to R&D," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1033-1082, Elsevier.
    14. Cristiano Antonelli & Alessandra Colombelli, 2017. "The locus of knowledge externalities and the cost of knowledge," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(8), pages 1151-1164, August.
    15. Cabrer-Borras, Bernardi & Serrano-Domingo, Guadalupe, 2007. "Innovation and R&D spillover effects in Spanish regions: A spatial approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 1357-1371, November.
    16. Wan-Hsin Liu, 2013. "The role of proximity to universities for corporate patenting: provincial evidence from China," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 51(1), pages 273-308, August.
    17. Magnani, Elisabetta, 2009. "How does technological innovation and diffusion affect inter-industry workers' mobility?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 16-37, March.
    18. Grazia Cecere & Sascha Rexhäuser & Patrick Schulte, 2019. "From less promising to green? Technological opportunities and their role in (green) ICT innovation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 45-63, January.
    19. Hans Loof & Almas Heshmati, 2006. "On the relationship between innovation and performance: A sensitivity analysis," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4-5), pages 317-344.
    20. Iwasa, Tomoko & Odagiri, Hiroyuki, 2004. "Overseas R&D, knowledge sourcing, and patenting: an empirical study of Japanese R&D investment in the US," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 807-828, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    industrial districts; innovation; external economies; district effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:uab:wprdea:wpdea0807. 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: Dept. Economia Aplicada (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dauabes.html .

    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.