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Rails of Progress? Exploring the Nexus between Railroad Access and Innovation in Italy (19th-20th Centuries)

Author

Listed:
  • Martinez, Marco
  • Nuvolari, Alessandro
  • Vasta, Michelangelo

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence on the nexus between railroads and inventive activities in Italy in the period 1861-1936. We develop two new georeferenced datasets on railway stations and patents. By adopting the staggered difference in differences identification strategy by Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021), we show that the impact of railroad construction on innovation is only visible for the first wave of construction of the period of the Destra storica (1861-1878), when the network was expanded following a state building strategy. However, these effects became noticeable only after more than two decades and concern mostly independent inventors and low-quality patents.

Suggested Citation

  • Martinez, Marco & Nuvolari, Alessandro & Vasta, Michelangelo, 2024. "Rails of Progress? Exploring the Nexus between Railroad Access and Innovation in Italy (19th-20th Centuries)," CEPR Discussion Papers 19812, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:19812
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • L92 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Railroads and Other Surface Transportation

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