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The Role of Regional Institutions in Research and Innovation Investments of Italy's Cohesion Policy

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  • R. Arbolino
  • R. Boffardi

Abstract

Innovation is now recognized as the cornerstone of the strategies of growth and reduction of regional imbalances. At the same time, literature underlines the importance of efficient institutions to achieve greater return from investment policies. This paper aims at investigating the link between the quality of Italian administrations and the return on investment made through the Structural and Cohesion Funds, focusing on research and innovation spending by the Italian regions. In order to measure the quality of institutions, autors have used the Institutional Quality Index (IQI), matching data on corruption and governance in Italian regions, and a set of efficiency indices designed to assess the ability of regional policymakers in European fund management. We carried out a two-way fixed effect panel regression analysis among the Italian regions for 2007-2013. The results show that a good level of investment of Structural Funds in R&I is positively correlated with regional growth, while both IQI and efficiency indices have to be considered as key factors, particularly in those regions of Southern Italy characterized by structural shortages.

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  • R. Arbolino & R. Boffardi, 2017. "The Role of Regional Institutions in Research and Innovation Investments of Italy's Cohesion Policy," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1-2, pages 167-192.
    • Handle: RePEc:mul:jqyfkm:doi:10.1432/87102:y:2017:i:1-2:p:167-192
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andr�s Rodr�guez-Pose & Enrique Garcilazo, 2015. "Quality of Government and the Returns of Investment: Examining the Impact of Cohesion Expenditure in European Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 1274-1290, August.
    2. Gianluigi Coppola & Sergio Destefanis, 2015. "Structural Funds and Regional Convergence: Some Sectoral Estimates for Italy," AIEL Series in Labour Economics, in: Chiara Mussida & Francesco Pastore (ed.), Geographical Labor Market Imbalances, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 307-333, Springer.
    3. Michele Benvenuti & Luca Casolaro & Elena Gennari, 2014. "Metrics of Innovation: Measuring the Italian Gap," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1, pages 5-50.
    4. Riccardo Crescenzi, 2005. "Innovation and Regional Growth in the Enlarged Europe: The Role of Local Innovative Capabilities, Peripherality, and Education," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 471-507, September.
    5. Riccardo Crescenzi & Luisa Gagliardi & Marco Percoco, 2013. "Social Capital and the Innovative Performance of Italian Provinces," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(4), pages 908-929, April.
    6. Diukanova, Olga & López-Rodríguez, Jesús, 2014. "Regional Impacts of non-R&D Innovation Expenditures across the EU Regions: Simulation Results Using the Rhomolo CGE Model," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 29, pages 91-111.
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