{"title":"Technological paths and smart specialization: analysis of regional entry and exit in Turkey","authors":"Mert Abay, Sedef Akgüngör","doi":"10.1007/s41685-023-00325-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Smart specialization (SS) strategy emerged as a policy framework within the European Union’s (EU) regional policies, particularly after the 2008 financial crisis. Although a wide range of literature on smart specialization exists, there is limited empirical evidence on how the SS framework correlates with regional entrance and exit of technologies. Moreover, little is known about the connection between SS variables and technological growth paths, particularly in the context of a developing country. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between two building blocks of SS (relatedness and complexity) on technological trajectories in a developing country. Using regional patent data for Turkey’s regions at the NUTS3 level between 1978 and 2017, the study investigated patterns of regional trajectories by exploring how entry and exit are correlated within the SS framework. GDP per capita, population, the number of universities and techno-parks, Herfindahl–Hirschman Index, and complexity of regions were included in the study as control variables. The results showed that technological complexity is negatively correlated with the probability of entry, and positively correlated with the probability of exit. The results also revealed the role of technological relatedness as a tool to attract new and complementary technologies to a region. However, correlations between relatedness and probability of entry are weakened as the number of universities and techno-parks increases in a region, while the correlations between complexity and exit are enhanced, particularly with the presence of universities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36164,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science","volume":"8 1","pages":"45 - 84"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41685-023-00325-3","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Smart specialization (SS) strategy emerged as a policy framework within the European Union’s (EU) regional policies, particularly after the 2008 financial crisis. Although a wide range of literature on smart specialization exists, there is limited empirical evidence on how the SS framework correlates with regional entrance and exit of technologies. Moreover, little is known about the connection between SS variables and technological growth paths, particularly in the context of a developing country. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between two building blocks of SS (relatedness and complexity) on technological trajectories in a developing country. Using regional patent data for Turkey’s regions at the NUTS3 level between 1978 and 2017, the study investigated patterns of regional trajectories by exploring how entry and exit are correlated within the SS framework. GDP per capita, population, the number of universities and techno-parks, Herfindahl–Hirschman Index, and complexity of regions were included in the study as control variables. The results showed that technological complexity is negatively correlated with the probability of entry, and positively correlated with the probability of exit. The results also revealed the role of technological relatedness as a tool to attract new and complementary technologies to a region. However, correlations between relatedness and probability of entry are weakened as the number of universities and techno-parks increases in a region, while the correlations between complexity and exit are enhanced, particularly with the presence of universities.
期刊介绍:
The Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science expands the frontiers of regional science through the diffusion of intrinsically developed and advanced modern, regional science methodologies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Articles published in the journal foster progress and development of regional science through the promotion of comprehensive and interdisciplinary academic studies in relationship to research in regional science across the globe. The journal’s scope includes articles dedicated to theoretical economics, positive economics including econometrics and statistical analysis and input–output analysis, CGE, Simulation, applied economics including international economics, regional economics, industrial organization, analysis of governance and institutional issues, law and economics, migration and labor markets, spatial economics, land economics, urban economics, agricultural economics, environmental economics, behavioral economics and spatial analysis with GIS/RS data education economics, sociology including urban sociology, rural sociology, environmental sociology and educational sociology, as well as traffic engineering. The journal provides a unique platform for its research community to further develop, analyze, and resolve urgent regional and urban issues in Asia, and to further refine established research around the world in this multidisciplinary field. The journal invites original articles, proposals, and book reviews.The Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is a new English-language journal that spun out of Chiikigakukenkyuu, which has a 45-year history of publishing the best Japanese research in regional science in the Japanese language and, more recently and more frequently, in English. The development of regional science as an international discipline has necessitated the need for a new publication in English. The Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is a publishing vehicle for English-language contributions to the field in Japan, across the complete Asia-Pacific arena, and beyond.Content published in this journal is peer reviewed (Double Blind).