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Knowledge capital and spillover on regional economic growth: Evidence from China

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  • Kuo, Chun-Chien
  • Yang, Chih-Hai

Abstract

Though the determinants of regional economic growth in China have been widely discussed in previous studies, the effects of knowledge capital and spillover have been less systematically investigated. This paper assesses how and to what extent knowledge capital and technology spillover contribute to regional economic growth in China. Moreover, the absorptive ability played by human capital on acquiring advanced foreign technologies is also investigated in this study. Empirical results show that knowledge capital, both of R&D capital and technology imports contribute significantly, with similar impact, to regional economic growth. The analyses also suggest the existence of R&D spillovers as well as international knowledge spillovers. Moreover, a region's absorptive ability is considered as the critical capability to absorb external knowledge sources embodied in FDI and imports, which then contribute to the regional economic growth.

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  • Kuo, Chun-Chien & Yang, Chih-Hai, 2008. "Knowledge capital and spillover on regional economic growth: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 594-604, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:19:y:2008:i:4:p:594-604
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    O18 O33 O40 R& D Technology import Spillover Growth China;

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • D - Microeconomics

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