R&D Investments and the Spatial Dimension: Evidence from Firm Level Data

This paper proposes to investigate the effect of spillovers on firms’ R&D investment decisions. We develop an analysis merging the geographer’s toolbox with standard econometric techniques. For a chosen sample of sectors, we test the existence of positive spatial autocorrelation at the level of R&D investments. We provide results on how far the local environment may influence the firms’ investment decisions, hence to what extent localization economies matter for agglomeration. Data confirm that the proximity to other firms investing in R&D may produce positive externalities. Finally, the diversity versus specialization debate is tackled.