Title: Spatial patterns of technology transfer and measurement of its friction in the geo-economic space

Authors: Mario Coccia

Addresses: National Research Council of Italy; CERIS-CNR, Institute for Economic Research on Firm and Growth, Collegio Carlo Alberto – via Real Collegio, n. 30, 10024 Moncalieri (Torino), Italy

Abstract: This paper analyses the spatial mobility of technology transfer on the geo-economic space to study the patterns. The primary findings are that technological contacts decline with distance, through damped pulsations from research institutes to adopters, and that |institutional richness| in the regions influences the technology transfer process. These insights lead to the conclusion that policy makers need to be cognisant of the institutional context of regional environments and level of spatial friction, when choosing where to locate research institutes, in order to increase the competitiveness of firms and therefore regional economic growth.

Keywords: spatial patterns; technology transfer; localisation; research laboratory location; spatial mobility; absorptive capacity; spatial friction measurement; geo-economic space; research and development; R&D; policies; commercialisation; damped pulsations; institutional richness; regional environments; economic growth; regions; competitiveness; Italy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2010.030214

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2010 Vol.9 No.3, pp.255 - 267

Received: 22 Oct 2007
Accepted: 27 Oct 2008

Published online: 11 Dec 2009 *

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