Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Colozza, Federico
Author-Email: federico.colozza@uniroma3.it
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Roma Tre
Author-Name: Boschma, Ron
Author-Email: r.a.boschma@uu.nl
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Human Geography and Planning, Utrecht University,
	 and UiS Business School, University of Stavanger
Author-Name: Morrison, Andrea
Author-Email: a.morrison@uu.nl
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Pavia,
	 Department of Human Geography and Planning, Utrecht University, and ICRIOS,
	 Bocconi University
Author-Name: Pietrobelli, Carlo 
Author-Email: Pietrobelli@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, and University of Roma Tre
Title: The importance of global value chains and regional capabilities for the economic 
	 complexity of EU-regions
Abstract: This paper combines various literatures on Global Value Chains (GVC), Economic
	 Complexity and Evolutionary Economic Geography. The objective is to assess the
	 role of regional capabilities and GVC participation in fostering economic
	 complexity in 236 NUTS2-regions in Europe. Our results suggest there is no such
	 thing as a common path of economic upgrading across EU regions. Regions with
	 high economic complexity tend to keep their advantageous positions, as they are
	 capable of benefitting from both regional capabilities (as proxied by a high
	 relatedness between local activities) and external linkages in terms of GVC
	 participation. Conversely, low-complex regions do not benefit from GVC
	 participation, unless their regional capabilities (in terms of relatedness
	 density) are also stronger. 
Classification-JEL: B52, F23, O19, O33, R10
Keywords: Economic Complexity, Evolutionary Economic Geography, Global Value Chains,
	 Relatedness, Economic Upgrading, EU regions
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20211217
Number: 2021-051
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2021/wp2021-051.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2021051