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Abstract
Cecere G. and Corrocher N. The intensity of interregional cooperation in information and communication technology projects: an empirical analysis of the Framework Programme, Regional Studies. The cohesion across European member states and regions has been constantly promoted by European Union science policy, particularly through the Framework Programme. This paper investigates the intensity of bilateral collaborations between European Union regions (at the NUTS-2 level) in information and communication technology (ICT)-related projects. Results show that the geographical distance reduces the strength of cooperation, while cultural proximity, individual regions' involvement in research collaborations and the strength of the ICT sector have a positive effect. Cooperation between regions belonging to different tiers of European Union member states (EU15 and EU27) and between regions belonging to the second tier of European Union member states (EU27 and EU27) is weaker than other bilateral ties, putting into question the ability of the Framework Programme to promote cohesion.
Cecere G. and Corrocher N. 资讯与通信技术计画的跨区域合作强度 ：科研架构计画的经验分析，区域研究。欧盟的科技政策持续致力于促进欧盟成员国与区域间的凝聚力, 特别是透过科研架构计画进行。本文探讨欧盟区域间(位于 NUTS 第二层级的区域)在资讯与通信技术(ICT)相关计画中双边合作的强度。研究结果显示，地理距离减低了合作的效力，而文化的近似性、各别区域在研究合作中的参与以及 ICT 部门的能力则皆有着正向影响。隶属于不同层级之欧盟成员国 (欧盟传统 15 国与欧盟 27 国) 之间的区域合作，以及同属于第二层级欧盟成员国(欧盟 27 国与欧盟 27 国)之间的区域合作，较其他的双边关係更显薄弱，使得科研架构计画促进凝聚力的效力受到质疑。
Cecere G. et Corrocher N. L'intensité de la coopération interrégionale dans les projets de technologie de l'information et de la communication: une analyse empirique du programme-cadre, Regional Studies. La politique scientifique de l'Union européenne a favorisé régulièrement la cohésion entre les pays-membres et entre les régions européens, notamment par le canal du programme-cadre. Cet article examine l'intensité des collaborations bilatérales entre les régions de l'Union européenne (au niveau NUTS-2) dans les projets liés à la technologie de l'information et de la communication. Les résultats montrent que la distance géographique réduit l'intensité de la coopération, tandis que la proximité culturelle, l'engagement des régions particulières dans les collaborations de recherche et la puissance du secteur TIC ont un impact positif. La coopération des régions des différents rangs du classement des pays-membres de l'Union européenne (EU15 et EU27) et entre les régions appartenant au deuxième rang du classement des pays-membres de l'Union européenne (EU27 et EU27) s'avère plus faible par rapport à d'autres liens bilatéraux, ce qui remet en question la capacité du programme-cadre de favoriser la cohésion.
Cecere G. und Corrocher N. Intensität der interregionalen Zusammenarbeit bei Projekten der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik: eine empirische Analyse des Rahmenprogramms, Regional Studies. Die Kohäsion zwischen den Mitgliedstaaten und Regionen der Europäischen Union wurde von der Wissenschaftspolitik der EU insbesondere durch das Rahmenprogramm ständig gefördert. In diesem Beitrag untersuchen wir die Intensität der bilateralen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Regionen der Europäischen Union (auf NUTS-2-Ebene) in Projekten der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik (IKT). Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass die Intensität der Zusammenarbeit bei wachsender geografischer Entfernung abnimmt, während sich die kulturelle Nähe, die Beteiligung der einzelnen Regionen an gemeinsamen Forschungsprojekten und die Stärke des IKT-Sektors positiv auswirken. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Regionen von Mitgliedstaaten auf verschiedenen Ebenen der Europäischen Union (EU15 und EU27) sowie zwischen den Regionen von Mitgliedstaaten der zweiten EU-Ebene (EU27 und EU27) fällt schwächer aus als andere bilaterale Verbindungen, was an der Wirksamkeit des Rahmenprogramms hinsichtlich der Förderung der Kohäsion zweifeln lässt.
Cecere G. y Corrocher N. La intensidad de la cooperación interregional en proyectos de la tecnología de información y comunicación: un análisis empírico del Programa Marco, Regional Studies. La política científica de la Unión Europea fomenta continuamente la cohesión entre los Estados miembros europeos y las regiones, especialmente mediante el Programa Marco. En este artículo investigamos la intensidad de las colaboraciones bilaterales entre las regiones de la Unión Europea (en el nivel NUTS 2) en proyectos relacionados con la tecnología de información y comunicación (TIC). Los resultados indican que la intensidad de la cooperación se ve reducida según la distancia geográfica, mientras que la proximidad cultural, la participación de las regiones individuales en las colaboraciones de investigación y la fuerza del sector de TIC tienen un efecto positivo. La cooperación entre regiones que pertenecen a diferentes niveles de los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea (EU15 y EU27) y entre regiones que pertenecen al segundo nivel de los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea (EU27 y EU27) es más débil que otros vínculos bilaterales, lo que cuestiona la capacidad del Programa Marco para fomentar la cohesión.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Fabio Montobbio, Valerio Sterzi, Silvio Tai, the participants at the DEGIT XVI Conference (St Petersburg, Russia, 2011), and the ADIS-Université Paris Sud Seminar series for their valuable comments and suggestions. A special thanks to Miren Lafourcade for her help with the data and suggestions.
Notes
1. Projects with up to thirty participants were included in the analysis. This corresponds to 90% of the set of projects in the dataset. The largest projects were not considered as the aim was to measure the intensity and extent of fruitful knowledge exchange. Considering the entire sample, the average number of participants per project was 19.66, with a standard deviation (SD) of 18.88 and a maximum number of participants per project of 116. The distribution was therefore extremely skewed.
2. The maximum number of bilateral ties is N(N – 1)/2, where N is the number of regions, but the actual number of ties in the dataset is smaller, as there are many zero pairwise links – which are turned into missing values once the log transformation is applied to the variable.
3. As mentioned by Fearon Citation(2003), for example Byelorussian, Russian and Ukrainian share their first three classifications as Indo-European, Slavic and East Branch languages.
4. As stated in The World Values Surveys documents (see http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/):
Secular-rational values dimension reflects the contrast between societies in which religion is very important and those in which it is not. A wide range of other orientations are closely linked with this dimension. Societies near the traditional pole emphasize the importance of parent–child ties and deference to authority, along with absolute standards and traditional family values, and reject divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. These societies have high levels of national pride, and a nationalistic outlook. Societies with secular–rational values have the opposite preferences on all of these topics. The second major dimension of cross-cultural variation is linked with the transition from industrial society to post-industrial societies, which brings a polarization between Survival and Self-expression values. The unprecedented wealth that has accumulated in advanced societies during the past generation means that an unprecedented share of the population has grown up taking survival for granted. Thus, priorities have shifted from an emphasis on economic and physical security above all, toward increasing emphasis on subjective well-being, self-expression and the quality of life.
5. Based on the data on patent applications by International Patent Classification (IPC) subclass, Eurostat calculates data on patent applications in ICT groups. There are four ICT groups: Telecommunications; Consumer electronics; Computers; Office machinery and other ICT. For details on IPC subclasses corresponding to the above ICT groups, see http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_SDDS/Annexes/pat_esms_an8.pdf/.
6. Many studies have used measures of technological proximity as independent variables when investigating the strength of international collaboration in research or inventive activity (Picci, Citation2010, Paier and Scherngell, Citation2011; Montobbio and Sterzi, Citation2011). In particular, Maurseth and Verspagen Citation(2002) build a compatibility index by looking at the pattern of citations between sectors and the regions' sectoral specialization patenting. However, since the present dataset only includes ICT-related projects, the authors believe that the relevance of the ICT sector provides a better explanatory variable for the importance of the bilateral collaboration between two regions.
7. Degree centrality is simply defined as the number of lines incident with a node. In the context of this study, where nodes represent organizations, degree centrality is therefore defined as the number of other organizations with which the focal organization has a relational tie. Betweenness centrality is a measure of the influence a node has over the spread of information and knowledge through the network. The basic idea is that a node, which lies on the information path linking two other nodes, can exercise control over the flow of knowledge within the network. Formally, it is defined as the fraction of shortest paths (that is, the minimum number of lines connecting two nodes) between node pairs that pass through the node of interest. Removing a node with a high betweenness centrality significantly reduces the overall connectivity of the network.
8. In the classification, ‘high’ and ‘low’ are defined in relation to the average value across participating regions.
9. The effect of the other two variables reflecting cultural proximity – langprox and tradvaluesgap – is not significant in most models.