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Relatedness and diversification in the European Union (EU-27) and European Neighbourhood Policy countries

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  • Ron Boschma
  • Gianluca Capone

Abstract

This paper analyzes the process of industrial diversification in the countries that were part of the European Union (EU-27) and those that were the target of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in the period 1995–2010 by means of world trade data derived from the BACI database (elaborated UN Comtrade data). Our results show that in both the EU-27 and the ENP countries, the evolution of the productive structure—as proxied by the export mix—is strongly path-dependent: countries tend to keep a comparative advantage in products that are strongly related to their current productive structure, and they also diversify in nearby products. However, this effect is much stronger for ENP countries, signalling their lower resources and capabilities to diversify in products that are not very related to their productive structure. We also show that the future export structures of countries are affected by their imports: both the EU-27 and ENP countries keep a comparative advantage in products that are strongly related to their imports, but only EU countries show a strong capability to diversify in new products from related import sectors. Our results also hold when controlling for geographical and institutional proximity.

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  • Ron Boschma & Gianluca Capone, 2016. "Relatedness and diversification in the European Union (EU-27) and European Neighbourhood Policy countries," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(4), pages 617-637, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:34:y:2016:i:4:p:617-637
    DOI: 10.1177/0263774X15614729
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Cilem Selin Hazir & Flora Bellone & Cyrielle Gaglio, 2019. "Local product space and firm-level churning in exported products," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(6), pages 1473-1496.
    2. Nomaler, Önder & Verspagen, Bart, 2024. "Related or unrelated diversification: What is smart specialization?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 503-515.
    3. Xiyan Mao & Peiyu Wang, 2023. "Import–export nexus and China's emerging trade in environmental goods," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 157-181, March.
    4. Ron Boschma, 2021. "Designing Smart Specialization Policy: relatedness, unrelatedness, or what?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2128, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2021.
    5. Ziliang Liu & Shengjun Zhu, 2021. "Changing institutional context and regional industrial dynamics: New evidence from the establishment of administrative approval centers in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 1271-1294, September.
    6. Zoltán Elekes & Ron Boschma & Balázs Lengyel, 2018. "Foreign-owned firms as agents of structural change in regions: the case of Hungary 2000-2009," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1812, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Mar 2018.
    7. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1f59r6ssre9eiqb2rso9ui50m2 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Nicola D Coniglio & Raffaele Lagravinese & Davide Vurchio & Massimo Armenise, 2018. "The pattern of structural change: testing the product space framework," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 27(4), pages 763-785.
    9. Shengjun Zhu & Canfei He & Qian Luo, 2019. "Good neighbors, bad neighbors: local knowledge spillovers, regional institutions and firm performance in China," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 617-632, March.
    10. Nomaler, Önder & Verspagen, Bart, 2022. "Some new views on product space and related diversification," MERIT Working Papers 2022-011, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    11. Ron Boschma, 2018. "The geographical dimension of structural change," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1839, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2018.
    12. Pinheiro, Flávio L. & Hartmann, Dominik & Boschma, Ron & Hidalgo, César A., 2022. "The time and frequency of unrelated diversification," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(8).
    13. Moreno, Rosina & Ocampo-Corrales, Diego, 2022. "The ability of European regions to diversify in renewable energies: The role of technological relatedness," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    14. Coniglio, Nicola D. & Vurchio, Davide & Cantore, Nicola & Clara, Michele, 2021. "On the evolution of comparative advantage: Path-dependent versus path-defying changes," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    15. Luo, Jiahui & Dong, Jingrong & Tan, Zhixiong & Zhang, Haitao & Zhang, Wenqing, 2024. "Relatedness, digital economy and renewable energy product evolution—based on product space perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    16. Dimitris Kallioras & George Petrakos & Maria Tsiapa, 2021. "The Geography of Trade Among the European Union and the European Neighborhood Policy Countries," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 1, pages 3-18.
    17. Bjorn T. ASHEIM & Sverre J. HERSTAD, 2021. "Regional innovation strategy for resilience and transformative industrial path development: evolutionary theoretical perspectives on innovation policy," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 12, pages 43-75, August.
    18. Simón Sánchez‐Moral & Mário Vale & Alfonso Arellano, 2022. "Skill‐Relatedness and Regional Economic Development in Spain during the International Crisis and the Post‐Crisis Period," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(3), pages 573-602, June.
    19. Lengyel, Balázs & Elekes, Zoltán, 2020. "A külföldi tulajdonú vállalatok és az import szerepe a hazai térségek exportjának diverzifikációjában [Foreign-owned firms and the role of their imports in diversifying Hungarys exports]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(4), pages 352-378.
    20. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/1f59r6ssre9eiqb2rso9ui50m2 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, Jon Mikel & Porto Gómez, Igone & Aguirre Larracoechea, Urko, 2020. "Technological diversification: a matter of related or unrelated varieties?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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