The ties that bind and transform: knowledge remittances, relatedness and the direction of technical change

Abstract This study investigates whether high-skilled migration in a sample of OECD countries fosters technological diversification the migrants’ origin. We focus on migrant inventors and their role as vectors knowledge remittances. Further, we particularly analyze migrants spark related or unrelated back home. To account for uneven distribution within host countries, break down analysis at metropolitan area level. Our results suggest that have positive effect home countries’ diversification, developing technologies with less activities around—thus fostering diversification.