A Study of the Implications of Innovation Location Patterns for Economic Growth and National Welfare

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01638
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07040:Economic policy-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: DAVIS COLIN 同志社大学, 国際教育インスティテュート, 教授 (70432557)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 橋本 賢一 神戸大学, 経済学研究科, 教授 (70403219)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Industry Location / R&D Offshoring / Employment / Productivity Growth / International Trade

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research project was to theoretically study how firms select optimal geographic locations for their research and development (R&D) activities across an increasingly integrated world economy, and to appraise whether the resulting R&D locations patterns benefit or hurt the associated home and host countries, with a specific emphasis on the consequences for employment and productivity growth, and with an aim to identify the roles of policy in improving national welfare.

The research project successfully analyzed the following issues: (i) the relationship between innovation offshoring and productivity growth; (ii) how labor market frictions affect industry location patterns, unemployment rates, and economic growth; (iii) the effects of import competition on regional industry location and economic growth; (iv) the effects of demographic transition on industry location and economic growth; (v) the effect of union power on industry location patterns and economic growth.

Free Research Field

経済理論の応用分析

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

経済政策の一つの目的は地方経済を再生することである。その一方で、都市圏に産業が集積されると経済成長が加速することもよく知られている。本研究では、産業の立地模様に与える影響を通して、経済政策が複数の地域にもたらす効果を考える。その結果、より的確な経済政策を実行することが可能になる。