Silvia Bertarelli

Evaluating Total Factor Productivity Differences by a Mapping Structure in Growth Models

The article aims at providing a suitable measure of total factor productivity (TFP) levels within the conditional convergence framework by introducing unobserved heterogeneity in terms of a ‘‘mapping model’’. Our goal is twofold. First, we develop a generalized maximum entropy estimation procedure to account for ill-posed and ill-conditioned inference problems in estimating a conditional convergence regression with fixed effects and heterogeneous coefficients across regions. Second, we provide an endogenous spatial representation of unobserved fixed effects by using a multidimensional scaling technique. The proposed approach is applied to assess the existence of catching-up across Italian regions over the period 1960—1995 and to identify the effects of technology and geographic spillovers on the determination of TFP levels.

The Role of Local Agglomeration Economies and Regional Characteristics in Attracting FDI: Italian Evidence

Abstract The objective of this paper is to test for the importance of local agglomeration externalities in determining inward foreign direct investment (FDI) intensity, viewed as a measure of regional attractiveness to FDI. The links between the degree of FDI inflow penetration into Italy and its determinants at the regional level are examined using alternative fixed effects panel data model specifications, also extended to include spatial effects. It is found that sectoral and regional specificities are relevant in attracting inward FDI into Italy and the different effects of intra‐sector and inter‐sector spillovers can be distinguished. There is also evidence that the importance of agglomeration spillovers connected to the geographical distance varies across regions, indicating both substitution and complementarity effects from FDI inflows into neighboring regions.

Innovation, complementarity, and exporting. Evidence from German manufacturing firms

Abstract This paper assesses whether there might be complementarities between different types of innovation activities (product, process and organizational) and how these effects may be linked to the likelihood that a firm will export. Complementarity is addressed through the properties of supermodular functions, and firm heterogeneity by export destination is explored. A new econometric strategy to test for pairwise complementarity in a function with three independent variables and a binary dependent variable is proposed. Exogenous and endogenous innovation variables are considered by using bootstrapping for hypothesis testing, propensity score matching and treatment effects models. The empirical analysis shows that complementarity relationships between innovation strategies are more likely to exist when firms export to multiple foreign markets.

Non Monotoninc Catching up in a Solow Model with Public Capital

In this paper we propose a standard Solow model augmented with public capital in the production function. The model solution displays two steady states, an unstable one and an efficient stable equilibrium. As a result the model predicts both divergence and non monotonic convergence; that is a transition path characterized by increasing growth rates up to the point where the traditional convergence behavior describes the successive evolution towards the stationary equilibrium. Using traditional cross section techniques the hypothesis of non monotonic catching-up is tested against a large sample of countries, obtaining favorable evidence.