The effects of scientific regional opportunities in science-technology flows: Evidence from scientific literature in firms patent data

Relevant scientific literature has demonstrated that in spaces of smaller scale than the national, the availability of scientific knowledge is also relevant for generating spillover effects that benefit the industrial sector. The proliferation of such literature consistently stressing the importance of physical proximity for the two-way flow of knowledge and for the development and fostering of innovation, together with the high degree of self-government of the Spanish regions (which have the competence to develop their own R&D policies), all suggest that the relationships between the scientific community and the industrial sector may be closer and more productive in the regions where the scientific potential is more relevant, in comparison with other regions. The basic objective of this article is to test for the possible differential effects of a favourable scientific environment on science-technology relationships, and more specifically, to determine if the considerable regional resources directed towards scientific research in local universities are being translated into economic results for industry, by way of better utilisation of scientific knowledge to enable companies to generate more and better innovations in processes and products. The methodology that we employ relates the scientific citations in patent documents - as a basic indicator of these science-technology flows- with various indicators of resources and results of academic research that reflect the scientific research environment. With caution, and recognising the limitations inherent in the NPC (non patent citation) methodology, different econometric specifications permit the conclusion to be drawn that companies of those regions with a more favourable scientific environment make greater use of scientific knowledge. Received: September 2003/Accepted: October 2004 The authors are members of Eco-21 Research Project. Centra Foundation (Junta de Andalucía). We are grateful for the useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper that were provided by three anonymous referees. This research has been granted by the Ministry of Science and Technology (SEC 2001–3030).     

东北农村住宅能耗调研及分析

针对调研情况,阐述东北地区气候和地理特征,对东北农村生活方式,采暖形式,住宅围护结构等进行总结,挑选典型样本对能耗情况进行理论计算。通过对统计结果进行深入分析研究发现,东北农村采暖形式单一,围护结构热工性能较差,冬季室内环境阴冷等问题,建筑耗热量指标严重超出国家标准,节能潜力巨大。这为今后因地制宜地进行节能改造设计提供...     

Broadband and knowledge intensive firm clusters: Essential link or auxiliary connection?

This study evaluates the relationship between the spatial distribution of broadband providers and the presence of knowledge intensive firm clusters in US counties. Results highlight this relationship is heterogeneous and localized. In some places, broadband appears to be an essential link that enables knowledge firms to strategically locate in lower cost counties and in close proximity to major knowledge centres. In other places, the availability of broadband Internet connections are unable the negative externalities associated with locations in more remote areas of the country. From a policy perspective, this suggests that broadband should be viewed as a key component, but not the only component, of comprehensive local economic development plans.     

Economic structure,productivity, and infrastructure quality in Southern Mexico

There are large and sustained differences in the economic performance of sub-national regions in most countries. In this paper, we examine economic structure and productivity in Southern Mexico and compare these to the rest of the country. We employ firm level data from Mexican manufacturing to test the relative importance of firm level characteristics such as human capital and technology adoption compared to external characteristics such as infrastructure quality and regulatory environment in explaining productivity differentials. We find that the economic structure of the South is considerably different from the rest of the country, with the economic landscape being dominated by micro enterprises and a relative specialization in low productivity activities. This coupled with low skill levels and fewer skill upgrading opportunities reduces the performance of Southern firms. Productivity differentials between Southern and other firms, however, only exist for micro enterprises. The econometric analysis shows that while employee training and technology adoption enhance productivity, access to markets through improvements in transport infrastructure linking urban areas also have important productivity effects.We would like to thank Jose Luis Guasch for comments and suggestions and Julio Gonzalez for assistance in getting access to the firm level ENESTYC data. We appreciate the cooperation and collaboration of the Mexican National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI) throughout the process. This paper is part of a larger program to examine the contribution of economic geography and investment climate to economic efficiency. The findings reported in this paper are those of the authors alone, and should not be attributed to the World Bank, its executive directors, or the countries they represent.Received: September 2002 / Accepted: May 2003     

Knowledge spillovers, location of industry, and endogenous growth

A Grossman–Helpman–Romer-type (Grossman and Helpman in Innovation and growth in the world economy, 1991; Romer in J Polit Econ 98:71–102, 1990) endogenous-growth model is developed in this study. This model has two countries in which there are knowledge spillovers that are partially local. Owing to these spillovers, the innovation costs in a particular country decrease as the number of firms locating in both that country and the other country increases. If international knowledge spillovers are symmetric, the innovation sector is in the country with the larger market. However, if international knowledge spillovers are asymmetric, the innovation costs may be in the small-market country. When innovation costs are lower in the country with a large market, the growth rate increases with a reduction of transportation costs. However, when innovation costs are lower in the country with the smaller market, the growth rate decreases with a reduction in transportation costs. We are grateful to Marcus Berliant, Masahisa Fujita, Koichi Futagami, Tatsuo Kinugasa, Takuo Imagawa, Tomoya Mori, Se-il Mun, Hisahiro Naito, Ryoji Ohdoi, Tatsuyoshi Saijyo, and Akihisa Shibata for their helpful comments and suggestions. Any remaining errors are the responsibility of the authors.     

Enterprise zones and zones franches urbaines: a critique of area-based fiscal incentives and regeneration in England and France

Based on a comparison of HOPE VI and Big Cities Policy in the United States and the Netherlands, we argue that despite major differences in context, there has been a convergence in regeneration strategies in the two countries. In both countries the neighbourhoods look better, are safer and have a better reputation. However, in the Netherlands shopping facilities have improved more than in the United States. In both countries, most of the original residents have a better quality of life after than before the policies were implemented, whether they live on-site or have relocated. However, the needs of multi-problem families are not being met by either HOPE VI or Big Cities Policy. Finally, there is no evidence that the original residents have become more self-sufficient in either country as a result of the regeneration.     

东北地区小城镇及古建筑防灾减灾探究

笔者对我国东北地区小城镇及其古建筑现状及特点做出总体概括,并对我国东北地区易发生灾害进行分析。通过总结得出针对我国东北地区小城镇及其古建筑的防灾减灾工程具体实施措施,对小城镇及其古建筑防灾减灾工程具有重要参考意义。     

Discourses of town and country

There has arisen a great variety in the way we think about the relationship between town and country and in how those ideas are put into practical policy. The old certainties of the isolated town in a country setting have disappeared. By applying a discourse perspective we can understand and explain this variety better: different discourses can be identified within which people think about and act upon the relationship between town and country. An analysis in terms of discourses has certain advantages, apart from being a useful interpretive framework. For example, it admits the creative potential of ideas better than does an analysis in terms of power and interests, and it links theory and policy practice better than does an analysis in terms of paradigms. Finally, an analysis in terms of discourses suggests a way of generating new ideas for the theory about and the policy practice for the town–country relationship. Innovative ideas are likely to be found where two or more discourses meet and challenge each other. This is illustrated by reference to a large-scale programme which has been prepared for fundamental research into the relationship between town and country and new ideas for strategic policy.     

The impact of the direct payment of housing benefit: evidence from Great Britain

In recent years, a number of welfare reforms have been introduced in the UK by Conservative-led governments. The most high profile of these is Universal Credit (UC), which is currently being rolled out across the country. A key feature of UC is a change in the way the income-related housing allowance for social housing tenants (Housing Benefit) is administered, as under UC, it is paid directly to tenants (direct payment), who are responsible for paying their rent. This represents a step change for them as for more than 30 years landlord payment has been the norm in the UK. There has been little research into direct payment. This paper seeks to address this gap in knowledge by presenting the key findings of an initiative designed to trial direct payment. It finds that many tenants experienced difficulties on direct payment. Reflecting this, landlords' arrears rose markedly.     

尊重地域文化 建设东北新农村

我国地域幅员辽阔，自然环境差异较大，地域文化丰富多样，因而造就了各不相同的居住形式例如北京的四合院，陕北的窑洞民居、西南的吊脚楼等等，都讲究因地制宜，尊重地域文化、尊重居住者所处的历史环境、自然条件传承传统民居的布局与设计手法，继承和发扬传统民居中所蕴涵的地域文化，和谐处理人与自然的关系，这是进行东北新农村居住环境设计首先需要考虑和解决的问题     

Do restrictive regulatory policies matter for telecom performance? Evidence from MENA countries

The past decade has witnessed a significant transformation in trade and regulatory policies of the telecom sector across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Many countries committed to opening up their telecom sector for trade and investment under WTO commitments. However, these commitments do not always reflect actual policies. Although some MENA countries started alleviating telecom market restrictions and tended to adopt more open policies, other countries are still reluctant to change and adopt highly restrictive policies limiting foreign ownership and control in the market. This paper assesses the impact of telecom restrictions on landline and mobile sector performance in MENA countries using the World Bank Services Trade Restrictiveness database (STRD). We use three-stage least squares-seemingly unrelated regression (3SLS-SUR) to test for the effect of restrictions and the level of competition in the telecom sector on selected performance indicators. Our findings suggest that restrictive policies in the telecom sector are rather likely to affect landline than mobile communications. Moreover, being a MENA country affects the level of competition in the landline market. MENA countries are very protective to their incumbent operators, irrespective of the stipulated market regulations in place.     

Agglomeration and the spatial distribution of creativity

Abstract.  This article analyses the spatial distribution of "creativity"– the production of new knowledge. We analyse commercial patents granted in Sweden between 1994 and 2001 using a panel of 100 labour market areas that encompass the entire country. We relate patent activity to measures of localisation and urbanisation, to the industrial composition and size distribution of firms, and to the regional distribution of human capital. Our analysis confirms the importance of human capital and research facilities in stimulating regional patent output. Our results document the importance of agglomeration and spatial factors in influencing creativity: patent activity is increased in larger and more dense labour markets and in regions in which a larger fraction of the labour force is employed in medium-sized firms. Our results also indicate that creativity is greater in labour markets with more diverse employment bases and in those which contain a larger share of national employment in certain industries, thus confirming the importance of urbanisation and localisation economies in stimulating creativity. Our quantitative results suggest that the urbanisation of Sweden during the 1990s had an important effect upon the aggregate level of patent activity in the country, leading to increases of up to 15 percent in aggregate patents.     

基于自愈合体系框架的福建乡村既有居住环境改善策略

以福建省西北部相对贫困乡村为例,基于自愈合体系的构建,研究具有普适性的村民自助式修复和改造既有建筑资源的技术策略,探索既有建筑资源再生利用途径。     

WHERE HAVE ALL THE TOWERS GONE? THE DISMANTLING OF PUBLIC HOUSING IN U.S. CITIES

ABSTRACT: Public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country are demolishing and selling off public housing units. Although some of the units are being replaced in mixed‐income developments, most are not; the subsidies instead are being shifted into household‐based vouchers. Thus, in most cases the loss of these units is a permanent reduction in the nation's public housing stock. Demolition efforts are more extensive in some cities than in others. This paper analyzes public housing removal in the largest cities of the United States to explain the pattern of demolitions taking place. The analysis reveals that public housing removal is most prevalent in cities facing gentrification pressures, and in cities in which the management of public housing by the local housing authorities was subpar. Public housing removals are also associated with higher levels of racial segregation and violent crime.     

建设具有特色的小城镇建议

分析了我国目前小城镇建设的现状,针对小城镇建设中存在的主要问题,提出了相应的建议,指出在小城镇的规划设计中,应该以人为本,注重突出小城镇的特色,从而建造出符合时代特征的小城镇。     

Effect of host country and project conditions in international construction joint ventures

Joint ventures (JVs) have become popular because of their importance as a strategic alternative in global competition. International joint ventures (IJVs) are difficult to manage due to their complex structures involving more than two entities having different and competing objectives and strategies. Since each construction project is unique, project-specific factors are significant for the success of an IJV as well as the risks associated with the host country in which the IJV operates. In this study, the impact of host country conditions and project characteristics on IJV performance is investigated through a questionnaire survey. IJV performance is defined as a three-dimensional construct considering the performance of the project, the IJV partners, and the IJV organization itself. The results of the study suggest that project-related factors have a great impact on IJV performance. But they failed to provide evidence that IJV performance is affected by host country related risks.     

"东北现象":症结分析与出路的探讨

根据资料，东北地区有逐渐成为“边缘化地区”的趋势。这种趋势有其必然性，东北地区过去作为国家工业基地的工业经济地位的相对下降并不意味着地区工业经济可以绝对的衰落，东北老工业基地改造与振兴的出路。仍然应该发挥重工业，特别是基础工业和装备制造业．对此，文章提出了适宜东北地区的行业发展方案．     

东方阳光城

东方阳光城作为国内第一批私营的老龄社区之一，志在成为国内同类社区的典范。该社区位于北京东北部约50公里处，占地面积485公顷。该社区可以容纳约1.2万中老年居民，并建有公共、商业和零售等附属配套设施。同时还将提供27孔高尔夫球场、公园和娱乐设施。     

弃宏大而就无形陕西汉阳陵博物馆遗址保护性展示建筑的创新实践

汉阳陵帝陵外藏坑保护展示厅建筑是目前我国第一座对近帝陵封土及遗址实现全封闭保护的现代化全地下遗址博物馆。展示厅建筑设计“弃宏大而就无形”,以文物保护为核心,以文化展示为主线,全面运用了多种国际文物保护的先进技术,完整体现了当代国际古迹遗址保护的先进理念,成为我国新一代遗址博物馆建筑的典范。     

高校思想政治教育如何应对经济全球化的挑战

经济全球化是指在全球经济、文化交流活动日益发展的情况下 ,世界各国之间的影响、合作互动愈益加强。经济全球化不仅给高校思想政治教育提供了难得的历史机遇 ,也使思想政治教育对象的成长及培养面临着一种全新的国际环境 ,对思想政治教育本身提出了更高的要求和更多的挑战。