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Migration, communities on the move and international innovation networks: an empirical analysis of Spanish regions

Author

Listed:
  • Anna D’Ambrosio
  • Sandro Montresor
  • Mario Davide Parrilli
  • Francesco Quatraro

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of migration on innovation networks between regions and foreign countries. It posits that immigrants (emigrants) act as a transnational knowledge bridge between the host (home) regions and their origin (destination) countries, thus facilitating their co-inventorship networks. It also argues that the social capital of both the hosting and the moving communities reinforces such a bridging role, along with language commonality and migrants’ human capital. Focusing on Spain, as a country that hosted an intense process of migration over the past two decades, patent data are combined with national data on residents and electors abroad and a gravity model is applied to the co-inventorship between Spanish provinces (NUTS-3 regions) and a number of foreign countries. Both immigrants and emigrants affect the kind of innovation networking at stake. The social capital of both the moving and the hosting communities actually moderates this impact positively. The effect of migration is stronger for more skilled migrants and with respect to non-Spanish-speaking countries, pointing to a language-bridging role of migrants. Policy implications are drawn accordingly.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna D’Ambrosio & Sandro Montresor & Mario Davide Parrilli & Francesco Quatraro, 2019. "Migration, communities on the move and international innovation networks: an empirical analysis of Spanish regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(1), pages 6-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:53:y:2019:i:1:p:6-16
    DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2018.1426850
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    Cited by:

    1. Quatraro, Francesco & Scandura, Alessandra, 2020. "Regional patterns of unrelated technological diversification: the role of academic inventors," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202010, University of Turin.
    2. Caviggioli, Federico & Jensen, Paul & Scellato, Giuseppe, 2020. "Highly skilled migrants and technological diversification in the US and Europe," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    3. Sebestyén, Tamás & Braun, Erik & Bilicz, Dávid & Iloskics, Zita, 2024. "Egyetemek és vállalatok kutatási együttműködése a helyi tudástermelésben [Research cooperation between universities and companies in local knowledge production]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(11), pages 1199-1221.
    4. Jitamitra Behera & Akriti Jain & Ruchi Sharma, 2024. "The nexus between labour mobility and innovation: an empirical analysis," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 51(3), pages 551-584, September.
    5. Luigi Benfratello & Davide Castellani & Anna D'Ambrosio, 2024. "Migration and the location of MNE activities: Evidence from Italian provinces," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(2), pages 428-461, March.
    6. Justyna Łukaszewska-Bezulska, 2021. "The Role of Social Capital in Labour-Related Migrations: the Polish Example," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 949-966, September.
    7. Benjamin Cornejo Costas & Nicola Cortinovis & Andrea Morrison, 2025. "How external linkages and informal institutions enable green innovation in EU regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2503, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Feb 2025.
    8. Bischoff, Thore Sören & Hipp, Ann & Runst, Petrik, 2023. "Firm innovation and generalized trust as a regional resource," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    9. Jin, Wenwan & Huang, Yongyuan & Zhu, Shengjun, 2025. "Birthplace diversity of immigrants and technological novelty: Unpacking the internal structure of diversity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    10. Claudio Berardino & Dario D’Ingiullo & Donatella Furia & Alfredo Cartone, 2021. "Immigration diversity and regional economic growth," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(3), pages 863-886, October.
    11. Alessandra Colombelli & Anna D’Ambrosio & Valentina Meliciani, 2025. "Knowledge and cultural diversity in entrepreneurship: untangling the relationship," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 15(1), pages 175-204, March.
    12. Sarra, A. & D'Ingiullo, D. & Evangelista, A. & Nissi, E. & Quaglione, D. & Di Battista, T., 2025. "A network analysis of skill-specific internal migration flows in Italy," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Brixy, Udo & Brunow, Stephan & D'Ambrosio, Anna, 2020. "The unlikely encounter: Is ethnic diversity in start-ups associated with innovation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(4).

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