The concentration of scientific and technical knowledge in Italy Statistical analyses of the knowledge potential at territorial level in Italy use traditionally the Region as the unit of observation. It is however well known that this potential is spatially concentrated at a sub-regional level where local factors provide competitive advantages in terms of access to services and potential for spillovers. The article shows the results of a pioneering exercise conducted jointly by CNR and ISTAT at a finer-grained level of aggregation, the Local Labour System (LLS). LLSs are defined as statistical units resulting from the aggregation of municipalities identified on the basis of the concentration of jobs with common features. Three indicators are used in the article to reflect the knowledge potential of LLSs: research and development (R&D), patents, scientific publications. The results of the study show that, out of a total of the Italian 686 LLSs, a large majority of them, 78.3%, are involved in some inventive/innovative activity, i.e. R&D, scientific publications, patenting. However, the percentage of LLSs where these three activities are simultaneously present is much lower (40.2%) and, if a minimum level of the three parameters is introduced (an expenditure on R&D higher than 10 million euro and more than 10 publications and patents) the percentage of "highly knowledge intensive" LLSs drops to 12.2%. Also the concentration of knowledge across sectors, namely enterprises, university, public research agencies, private-non-profit institutions, is quite high: roughly 80% of R&D and publications is concentrated in the top 10 LLSs. In particular, most of the small regions (i.e. Friuli Venezia Giulia, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Sardinia, which account for 7.9% of the total R&D expenditure) display a lower than average level of concentration for the three indicators; also Veneto and Emilia Romagna, which are larger in terms of both area and population, show lower than average levels of concentration of "knowledge creation" activities: this is an indicator that their "knowledge creation system", which is based on a mixed network of universities and enterprises, is spread over the regional territory; Piedmont, Lombardy, Tuscany and Lazio (the best performing regions) concentrate their knowledge potential in the regional capital or in the largest urban areas. An interesting result of the study is that while Lombardy and Piedmont display a knowledge structure concentrated in large cities, Veneto and Emilia Romagna are characterized by a much more diffused regional system of innovation. The amount of resources devoted to knowledge activities is concentrated in the LLSs where the largest Italian cities are located (Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Padua, Naples, Genoa, etc.). However, if intensity ratios are calculated (R&D/value added, publications/population, patents/population) a quite different picture emerges with small cities like Bassano del Grappa, Fabriano and Vipiteno among the top 15 LLSs. Four clusters of knowledge creation and diffusion are identified: the most important one is the cluster of LLSs specialized in enterprises' R&D, which are typically localized in Northern-Central Italy. The other relevant cluster, dominated by university, is typical of the largest urban areas, in particular in the Centre and South.
The concentration of knowledge activities in Italy. An analysis at local level
Morettini L;Sirilli G
2013
Abstract
The concentration of scientific and technical knowledge in Italy Statistical analyses of the knowledge potential at territorial level in Italy use traditionally the Region as the unit of observation. It is however well known that this potential is spatially concentrated at a sub-regional level where local factors provide competitive advantages in terms of access to services and potential for spillovers. The article shows the results of a pioneering exercise conducted jointly by CNR and ISTAT at a finer-grained level of aggregation, the Local Labour System (LLS). LLSs are defined as statistical units resulting from the aggregation of municipalities identified on the basis of the concentration of jobs with common features. Three indicators are used in the article to reflect the knowledge potential of LLSs: research and development (R&D), patents, scientific publications. The results of the study show that, out of a total of the Italian 686 LLSs, a large majority of them, 78.3%, are involved in some inventive/innovative activity, i.e. R&D, scientific publications, patenting. However, the percentage of LLSs where these three activities are simultaneously present is much lower (40.2%) and, if a minimum level of the three parameters is introduced (an expenditure on R&D higher than 10 million euro and more than 10 publications and patents) the percentage of "highly knowledge intensive" LLSs drops to 12.2%. Also the concentration of knowledge across sectors, namely enterprises, university, public research agencies, private-non-profit institutions, is quite high: roughly 80% of R&D and publications is concentrated in the top 10 LLSs. In particular, most of the small regions (i.e. Friuli Venezia Giulia, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Sardinia, which account for 7.9% of the total R&D expenditure) display a lower than average level of concentration for the three indicators; also Veneto and Emilia Romagna, which are larger in terms of both area and population, show lower than average levels of concentration of "knowledge creation" activities: this is an indicator that their "knowledge creation system", which is based on a mixed network of universities and enterprises, is spread over the regional territory; Piedmont, Lombardy, Tuscany and Lazio (the best performing regions) concentrate their knowledge potential in the regional capital or in the largest urban areas. An interesting result of the study is that while Lombardy and Piedmont display a knowledge structure concentrated in large cities, Veneto and Emilia Romagna are characterized by a much more diffused regional system of innovation. The amount of resources devoted to knowledge activities is concentrated in the LLSs where the largest Italian cities are located (Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Padua, Naples, Genoa, etc.). However, if intensity ratios are calculated (R&D/value added, publications/population, patents/population) a quite different picture emerges with small cities like Bassano del Grappa, Fabriano and Vipiteno among the top 15 LLSs. Four clusters of knowledge creation and diffusion are identified: the most important one is the cluster of LLSs specialized in enterprises' R&D, which are typically localized in Northern-Central Italy. The other relevant cluster, dominated by university, is typical of the largest urban areas, in particular in the Centre and South.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
