Abstract
The construction of the new Europe based on knowledge strengthens the role of the regions and offers great potential for generating higher levels of growth and employment and greater prosperity and cohesion. In this paper, the geographical distribution of knowledge produced by European universities in the regions has been analysed by means of a sample from 213 regions in the EU-15, comparing its degree of concentration with that of economic activity and verifying whether a process of convergence of relevant indicators has taken place during the period 1998–2004. Finally, an evaluation as to whether this convergence of university scientific and technological knowledge affects the regional economic convergence has been carried out.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support received from the Junta de Andalucia (P06-SEJ-02087 & P08-SEJ-03981) for this project.
Notes
Both types of analysis have become generalized and, with the exception of per capita income, can be applied to other different variables.
Standard deviation is an absolute measure of dispersion. By taking its logarithmic value, a relative measure of the degree of inequality that is not subject to units of measurement is obtained. The variation coefficient is also a relative measure of dispersion in itself.
The majority of the journals covered by the ISI correspond to periodical publications in English. Although they do not represent the totality of scientific research, quality research is published in these journals, especially academic research.
NUTS II are territorial units with a certain degree of administrative and political authority. The majority have the capacity to implement their own policies for their universities.
The common practice of using logarithmic variables reduces the dispersion between the maximum and the minimum values. In order to carry out this transformation, the null values of the variables have been substituted by 0.1.