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Agglomeration incentives in a spatial Cournot model with increasing returns to scale

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  • Sylvain Barde

    (OFCE - Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po, University of Kent [Canterbury])

Abstract

This paper uses a spatial Cournot competition model to examine the effect of increasing returns to scale (IRS) in manufacturing as an agglomerating force between a fixed number of firms competing over regional markets. As one would expect, with a constant returns to scale (CRS) manufacturing sector the dispersed symmetric equilibrium will always be stable. The first important result is the confirmation that even low levels of IRS provide incentives for the manufacturing firms to deviate from this symmetric equilibrium and move towards agglomeration. An interesting aspect of the results, however, is that IRS do not automatically imply an unstable symmetric equilibrium, and the threshold required to provoke instability increases with transport costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvain Barde, 2008. "Agglomeration incentives in a spatial Cournot model with increasing returns to scale," Post-Print hal-03415835, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03415835
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Combes, Pierre-Philippe & Lafourcade, Miren, 2001. "Transport Cost Decline and Regional Inequalities: Evidence from France," CEPR Discussion Papers 2894, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Dixit, Avinash K & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1977. "Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(3), pages 297-308, June.
    3. Gianmarco I. P. Ottaviano & Diego Puga, 1998. "Agglomeration in the Global Economy: A Survey of the ‘New Economic Geography’," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(6), pages 707-731, August.
    4. Gupta, Barnali & Pal, Debashis & Sarkar, Jyotirmoy, 1997. "Spatial Cournot competition and agglomeration in a model of location choice," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 261-282, June.
    5. Paul Krugman, 1998. "Space: The Final Frontier," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 161-174, Spring.
    6. Anderson, Simon P & Neven, Damien J, 1991. "Cournot Competition Yields Spatial Agglomeration," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 32(4), pages 793-808, November.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation

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