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Vintage capital theory: Three breakthroughs

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  • Raouf Boucekkine

    () (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - ECM - École Centrale de Marseille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales)

  • David de la Croix

    () (CORE - Department of Economics - UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain)

  • Omar Licandro

    () (IAE - Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica - UAB - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

Vintage capital growth models have been at the heart of growth theory in the 60s. This research line collapsed in the late 60s with the so-called embodiment controversy and the technical sophisitication of the vintage models. This paper analyzes the astonishing revival of this literature in the 90s. In particular, it outlines three methodological breakthroughs explaining this resurgence: a growth accounting revolution, taking advantage of the availability of new time series, an optimal control revolution allowing to safely study vintage capital optimal growth models, and a vintage human capital revolution, along with the rise of economic demography, accounting for the vintage structure of human capital similarly to physical capital age structuring. The related literature is surveyed.

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  • Raouf Boucekkine & David de la Croix & Omar Licandro, 2011. "Vintage capital theory: Three breakthroughs," Working Papers halshs-00599074, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00599074
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00599074
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    4. Zon, Adriaan van, 2016. "On the optimum timing of the global carbon-transition under conditions of extreme weather-related damages: further green paradoxical results," MERIT Working Papers 2016-010, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    5. Raouf Boucekkine & Bruno de Oliveira Cruz, 2015. "Technological Progress and Investment: A Non-Technical Survey," AMSE Working Papers 1519, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    6. El Ouardighi, Fouad & Kogan, Konstantin & Boucekkine, Raouf, 2017. "Optimal Recycling Under Heterogeneous Waste Sources and the Environmental Kuznets Curve," ESSEC Working Papers WP1711, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    7. Samaniego, Roberto, 2016. "The Embodiment Controversy: on the Policy Implications of Vintage Capital models," MPRA Paper 73348, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Schröder, Philipp J.H. & Sørensen, Allan, 2012. "Firm exit, technological progress and trade," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(3), pages 579-591.
    9. Mauro Bambi & Cristina Di Girolami & Salvatore Federico & Fausto Gozzi, 2014. "On the Consequences of Generically Distributed Investments on Flexible Projects in an Endogenous Growth Model," Discussion Papers 14/15, Department of Economics, University of York.
    10. Bichescu, Bogdan & Raturi, Amitabh, 2015. "The antecedents and consequences of plant closing announcements," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 197-210.
    11. Martino Pelli & Jeanne Tschopp & Natalia Bezmaternykh & Kodjovi M Eklou, 2019. "In the Eye of the Storm: Firms and Capital Destruction in India," Cahiers de recherche 11-2019, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
    12. Wojciech Szewczyk & Anna Sabadash, 2013. "Macroeconomic Modelling of Public Expenditures on Research and Development in Information and Communication Technologies," JRC Working Papers JRC82943, Joint Research Centre (Seville site).
    13. Martino Pelli & Jeanne Tschopp & Natalia Bezmaternykh & Kodjovi M Eklou, 2020. "In the Eye of the Storm: Firms, Putty-Clay and Capital Destruction," Diskussionsschriften dp2012, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    demography; Vintage capital; embodied technical progress; growth accounting; optimal control; endogenous growth; vintage human capital; demography.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis

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