IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v73y2018icp458-467.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The paradox of geographical proximity for innovators: A regional study of the Spanish agri-food sector

Author

Listed:
  • Maté-Sánchez-Val, Mariluz
  • Harris, Richard

Abstract

This paper analyses the geographical proximity impact and the proximity paradox in a regional study of the Spanish agri-food industry. This study is mainly based on the Community Innovation Survey database, from which we get a representative group of agri-food companies in Murcia, Spain. The regional character of this research allows us to discount the institutional effects which could cause differences between companies in different regions. In addition, we consider individual innovative actors and alternative innovation outcomes. Our findings corroborate the significant impact of geographical proximity for the innovation in agri-food companies. We get differences between innovators when the geographical impact on absorptive capacities and innovation is examined: geographical proximity between agri-food companies and industrial states and R&D centres has a significant impact on firms’ absorptive capacities whereas geographical distance to large companies and transport facilities play an important role in determining R&D activities. Our results corroborate the proximity paradox for the geographical dimension finding a non-linear relationship for the absorptive capacity in agri-food companies.

Suggested Citation

  • Maté-Sánchez-Val, Mariluz & Harris, Richard, 2018. "The paradox of geographical proximity for innovators: A regional study of the Spanish agri-food sector," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 458-467.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:73:y:2018:i:c:p:458-467
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.02.024
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837717313388
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.02.024?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. N. Berger, Allen & F. Udell, Gregory, 1998. "The economics of small business finance: The roles of private equity and debt markets in the financial growth cycle," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(6-8), pages 613-673, August.
    2. Richard Harris & Qian Cher Li, 2009. "Exporting, R&D, and absorptive capacity in UK establishments," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 61(1), pages 74-103, January.
    3. João Q Mota & Luís M de Castro, 2004. "Industrial Agglomerations as Localised Networks: The Case of the Portuguese Injection Mould Industry," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(2), pages 263-278, February.
    4. Giuliani, Elisa & Bell, Martin, 2005. "The micro-determinants of meso-level learning and innovation: evidence from a Chilean wine cluster," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 47-68, February.
    5. Escribano, Alvaro & Fosfuri, Andrea & Tribó, Josep A., 2009. "Managing external knowledge flows: The moderating role of absorptive capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 96-105, February.
    6. Olivier Bouba-Olga & Christophe Carrincazeaux & Marie Coris & Marie Ferru, 2015. "Proximity Dynamics, Social Networks and Innovation," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(6), pages 901-906, June.
    7. Teis Hansen, 2014. "Juggling with Proximity and Distance: Collaborative Innovation Projects in the Danish Cleantech Industry," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 90(4), pages 375-402, October.
    8. Julia Hoffmann & Stefan Hirsch & Johannes Simons, 2017. "Identification of spatial agglomerations in the German food processing industry," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(1), pages 139-162, March.
    9. Jose-Luis Hervas-Oliver & Jose Albors-Garrigos & Blanca de-Miguel & Antonio Hidalgo, 2012. "The role of a firm's absorptive capacity and the technology transfer process in clusters: How effective are technology centres in low-tech clusters?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(7-8), pages 523-559, September.
    10. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    11. Andre Torre, 2008. "On the Role Played by Temporary Geographical Proximity in Knowledge Transmission," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(6), pages 869-889.
    12. Ángela Triguero & David Córcoles & María C. Cuerva, 2013. "Differences in Innovation Between Food and Manufacturing Firms: An Analysis of Persistence," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 273-292, June.
    13. Audretsch, David B & Feldman, Maryann P, 1996. "R&D Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation and Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 630-640, June.
    14. Michael Storper & Anthony J. Venables, 2004. "Buzz: face-to-face contact and the urban economy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 351-370, August.
    15. Dhamvithee, Pisit & Shankar, Bhavani & Jangchud, Anuvat & Wuttijumnong, Phaisarn, 2005. "New Product Development in Thai Agro-Industry: Explaining the Rates of Innovation and Success in Innovation," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 8(3), pages 1-20.
    16. Christo Pirinsky & Qinghai Wang, 2006. "Does Corporate Headquarters Location Matter for Stock Returns?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(4), pages 1991-2015, August.
    17. Mate-Sanchez-Val, Mariluz & Harris, Richard, 2014. "Differential empirical innovation factors for Spain and the UK," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 451-463.
    18. Olav Sorenson & Jan W. Rivkin & Lee Fleming, 2010. "Complexity, Networks and Knowledge Flows," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 15, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Andres Rodriguez-Pose & Riccardo regstdcenzi, 2008. "Research and Development, Spillovers, Innovation Systems, and the Genesis of Regional Growth in Europe," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 51-67.
    20. Tom Broekel, 2015. "The Co-evolution of Proximities - A Network Level Study," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(6), pages 921-935, June.
    21. Federico Munari & Maurizio Sobrero & Alessandro Malipiero, 2012. "Absorptive capacity and localized spillovers: focal firms as technological gatekeepers in industrial districts," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(2), pages 429-462, April.
    22. De Silva, Dakshina G. & McComb, Robert P., 2012. "Geographic concentration and high tech firm survival," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 691-701.
    23. Elisa Giuliani, 2007. "The selective nature of knowledge networks in clusters: evidence from the wine industry," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 139-168, March.
    24. Mikko Moilanen & Stein Østbye & Kristin Woll, 2014. "Non-R&D SMEs: external knowledge, absorptive capacity and product innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 447-462, August.
    25. Holl, Adelheid, 2004. "Manufacturing location and impacts of road transport infrastructure: empirical evidence from Spain," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 341-363, May.
    26. Jesús Mur & Fernando López & Marcos Herrera, 2010. "Testing for Spatial Effects in Seemingly Unrelated Regressions," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(4), pages 399-440.
    27. Meric S. Gertler, 2003. "Tacit knowledge and the economic geography of context, or The undefinable tacitness of being (there)," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 75-99, January.
    28. W. Bruce Traill & Matthew Meulenberg, 2001. "Innovation in the food industry," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(1), pages 1-21.
    29. Simona Iammarino & Francesca Sanna-Randaccio & Maria Savona, 2009. "The perception of obstacles to innovation. Foreign multinationals and domestic firms in Italy," Revue d'économie industrielle, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 75-104.
    30. Akbar Zaheer & Geoffrey G. Bell, 2005. "Benefiting from network position: firm capabilities, structural holes, and performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(9), pages 809-825, September.
    31. Folta, Timothy B. & Cooper, Arnold C. & Baik, Yoon-suk, 2006. "Geographic cluster size and firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 217-242, March.
    32. Henny Romijn & Mike Albu, 2002. "Innovation, Networking and Proximity: Lessons from Small High Technology Firms in the UK," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 81-86.
    33. Paola Bertolini & Enrico Giovannetti, 2006. "Industrial districts and internationalization: the case of the agri-food industry in Modena, Italy," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 279-304, July.
    34. Barbosa, Natália & Faria, Ana Paula, 2011. "Innovation across Europe: How important are institutional differences?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(9), pages 1157-1169.
    35. Ron Boschma & Koen Frenken, 2010. "The Spatial Evolution of Innovation Networks: A Proximity Perspective," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    36. Tom Broekel & Ron Boschma, 2012. "Knowledge networks in the Dutch aviation industry: the proximity paradox," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(2), pages 409-433, March.
    37. Rikard H. Eriksson, 2011. "Localized Spillovers and Knowledge Flows: How Does Proximity Influence the Performance of Plants?," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 87(2), pages 127-152, April.
    38. Elena Huergo & Jordi Jaumandreu, 2004. "How Does Probability of Innovation Change with Firm Age?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 22(3_4), pages 193-207, April.
    39. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    40. Xavier Gellynck & Bert Vermeire & Jacques Viaene, 2007. "Innovation in food firms: contribution of regional networks within the international business context," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 209-226, May.
    41. Rikard H. Eriksson, 2011. "Localized Spillovers and Knowledge Flows: How Does Proximity Influence the Performance of Plants?," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 87(2), pages 127-152, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. José Manuel López‐Fernández & Mariluz Maté‐Sánchez‐Val & Francisco Manuel Somohano‐Rodriguez, 2021. "The effect of micro‐territorial networks on industrial small and medium enterprises' innovation: A case study in the Spanish region of Cantabria," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(1), pages 51-77, February.
    2. Falcone, Pasquale Marcello & De Rosa, Salvatore Paolo, 2020. "Use of fuzzy cognitive maps to develop policy strategies for the optimization of municipal waste management: A case study of the land of fires (Italy)," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    3. Bjerke, Lina & Johansson, Sara, 2022. "Innovation in agriculture: An analysis of Swedish agricultural and non-agricultural firms," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Juan García-Álvarez de Perea & Carolina Ramírez-García & Aida Del Cubo-Molina, 2019. "Internationalization Business Models and Patterns of SMEs and MNEs: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study in the Agrifood Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-26, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. José Manuel López‐Fernández & Mariluz Maté‐Sánchez‐Val & Francisco Manuel Somohano‐Rodriguez, 2021. "The effect of micro‐territorial networks on industrial small and medium enterprises' innovation: A case study in the Spanish region of Cantabria," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(1), pages 51-77, February.
    2. Renato Garcia & Veneziano Araújo & Suelene Mascarini & Emerson Gomes Dos Santos & Ariana Ribeiro Costa, 2018. "An Analysis Of The Relation Between Geographical And Cognitive Proximity In University-Industry Linkages," Anais do XLIV Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 44th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 132, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    3. Rosina Moreno & Ernest Miguélez, 2012. "A Relational Approach To The Geography Of Innovation: A Typology Of Regions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 492-516, July.
    4. Marrocu, Emanuela & Paci, Raffaele & Usai, Stefano, 2013. "Proximity, networking and knowledge production in Europe: What lessons for innovation policy?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(8), pages 1484-1498.
    5. Pierre-Alexandre Balland & Ron Boschma & Koen Frenken, 2015. "Proximity and Innovation: From Statics to Dynamics," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(6), pages 907-920, June.
    6. Xavier Molina-Morales, F. & Belso-Martínez, José A. & Más-Verdú, Francisco & Martínez-Cháfer, Luis, 2015. "Formation and dissolution of inter-firm linkages in lengthy and stable networks in clusters," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(7), pages 1557-1562.
    7. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Franz Huber & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2016. "Not too close, not too far: testing the Goldilocks principle of ‘optimal’ distance in innovation networks," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 465-487, August.
    8. Benoit, Florence & Belderbos, René, 2024. "International connection, local disconnection: The (heterogeneous) role of global cities in local and global innovation networks," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(3).
    9. Markus Grillitsch & Magnus Nilsson, 2019. "Knowledge externalities and firm heterogeneity: Effects on high and low growth firms," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(1), pages 93-114, February.
    10. Markus Grillitsch & Magnus Nilsson, 2017. "Firm performance in the periphery: on the relation between firm-internal knowledge and local knowledge spillovers," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(8), pages 1219-1231, August.
    11. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2017. "Nothing is in the Air," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 22-39, March.
    12. Adam Whittle & Balázs Lengyel & Dieter F. Kogler, 2020. "Understanding Regional Branching Knowledge Diversification via Inventor Collaboration Networks," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2006, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Feb 2020.
    13. Grzegorz Micek, 2019. "Geographical Proximity Paradox Revisited: The Case of IT Service SMEs in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.
    14. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2015. "Networking, context and firm-level innovation: Cooperation through the regional filter in Norway," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1516, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2015.
    15. Xiyao Xiang & Wei-Chiao Huang, 2019. "Does Distance Affect the Role of Nonlocal Subsidiaries on Cluster Firms’ Innovation? An Empirical Investigation on Chinese Biotechnology Cluster Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-18, November.
    16. Hervas Oliver,Jose Luis & Gonzalez,Gregorio & Caja,Pedro, 2014. "Clusters and industrial districts: where is the literature going? Identifying emerging sub-fields of research," INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) Working Paper Series 201409, INGENIO (CSIC-UPV).
    17. Massimo G. Colombo & Massimiliano Guerini & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra & Andrea Bonaccorsi, 2022. "The “first match” between high-tech entrepreneurial ventures and universities: the role of founders’ social ties," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 270-306, February.
    18. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Eriksson, Rikard, 2017. "Job-related Mobility and Plant Performance in Sweden," CEPR Discussion Papers 12018, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Pierre-Alexandre Balland & José Antonio Belso-Martínez & Andrea Morrison, 2014. "The Dynamics of Technical and Business Networks in Industrial Clusters: Embeddedness, status or proximity?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1412, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Apr 2014.
    20. Pierre-Alexandre Balland & Mathijs De Vaan & Ron Boschma, 2013. "The dynamics of interfirm networks along the industry life cycle: The case of the global video game industry, 1987--2007," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(5), pages 741-765, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agri-food companies; Absorptive capacity; Innovative actors; Proximity paradox; Geographical proximity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:73:y:2018:i:c:p:458-467. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.