DIVERSITY OR SPECIALIZARION? UNDERSTANDING KNOWLEDGE SPILLOVER MECHANISMS IN CHINA

Shicong XU

PhD candidate, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, Suite 250 Ag. Administration Building, 2120 Fyffe Rd, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210, USA

Shicong.x@gmail.com

Abdoul G. SAM

Professor, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, Suite 250 Ag. Administration Building, 2120 Fyffe Rd,  The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210, USA, Corresponding author

Sam.7@osu.edu

Abstract

China’s rise to the top echelons of the world’s economies was accompanied by an expeditious growth in domestic patent applications. Not surprisingly, this phenomenon has spawned a growing literature trying to sort out the determinants of patented research in China. However, mostly due to data limitations, many of the papers on this topic use aggregated innovation data at the industry, prefecture, or province levels. In this paper, we examine the empirical validity of important theories of knowledge spillover in the context of China at a micro-level, using a firm-level panel dataset comprised of publicly traded companies listed in the Shanghai and ShenZhen Stock Exchanges during the 2006-2010 period. Our study sheds light on whether locating near innovative firms increases patenting activity in general, regardless of the industry membership of these neighboring firms. We also explore how industry makeup, measured by the number of firms in the same or different industries, affects firm-level patenting activity. Our econometric results show that the number of patent applications by firms in close geographic proximity of a firm of interest has a significant and positive impact on that firm’s successful patent applications. In addition, we find that proximity to firms in the same industry reduces innovation while locating near firms from different industries stimulates innovation.

Keywords: patents, knowledge diffusion, MAR spillover, Jacobs spillover, China

JEL classification: O31, O32, O33, R12, D22

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FIRM SIZE AND LOCATION CHOICE OF FOOD INDUSTRY: IZMIR/TURKEY CASE

Nilnaz AKBAŞOĞULLARI

MSc City Planner, Izmir, Turkey, Tel: +90 554 972 37 64

nilnazakb@gmail.com

Hasan Engin DURAN

(Corresponding Author) Izmir Institute of Technology, City and Regional Planning Department, Associate Professor of Economics, Adress: Gülbahce Kampüsü, Izmir Yüksek Teknoloji Ensitüsü, Mimarlık Fakültesi, Şehir ve Bölge Planlama Bölümü, Urla-Izmir, Tel: +90 232 750 70 04

enginduran@iyte.edu.tr

Abstract

Purpose of the current study is to analyze the determinants of firm location in Izmir’s food industry. The dataset covers 734 firms in 2018. The analyses particularly focus on the impact of experience and size of the firms, the effects of which are not yet adequately analyzed by the existing literature. In terms of methodologies, initially, explorative maps are used to illustrate the data. Then, linear regression analyses are applied to analyze the location behavior determinants. Spatial autocorrelation test is applied to as a robustness test. Our findings point to three main results. First, firm size is not statistically a significant determinant of firm location. So, big firms may locate in/around or out of cities, whereas, also small firms may locate close to or distant from city centers Second, the influence of the experience variable is rather definite; earlier founded firms naturally locate closer to CBD. Third, with regard to results regarding sub-sectors, firms in packaged food and bakery sectors locate nearby CBDs where, in contrast, firms in animal products sector tend to locate in rural areas. Overall, the key lesson that we learn from the analysis is that concentration of large firms around urban areas should be avoided so to cope with environmental problems and to maintain fair competition between big and small firms. Moreover, younger firms should be subsidized (through tax exemptions, rental aid, export and employment subsidies) so that their capital structure remains strong even if they are not able to place close to the market.

Keywords: Location Choice, Food Industry, Determinants, Firm Size

JEL classification: D22, R3

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