Convergence, Patenting Activity and Geographic Spillovers: A Spatial Econometric Analysis for European Regions

In this paper, we investigate the impact of geographical spillovers in the patenting activ-ity and convergence process for a sample of 131 European regions over the 1981-2001 period. Using spatial econometrics methods (Anselin, 1988, 2001), we detect spatial autocorrela-tion and heterogeneity in the regional distribution of patent applications to the European Patent O ¢ ce. Then, we include successively these spatial e¤ects in a convergence analysis. A rst speci\u85cation taking into account the spatial dependence reveals a global convergence process between European regions as also a positive e¤ect of geographical spillovers on this convergence process. Secondly, the spatial heterogeneity is taking into account by a speci-cation with two spatial regimes, a "Core-Periphery " type. Finally, ours results show that the global convergence process is hiding disparities and di¤erent convergence processes for the two regimes. Only regions that belong to the "Core " of the EU are converging