La eficiencia técnica de la industria española

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la eficiencia técnica de los sectores industriales españoles durante el período 1991-1994 utilizando la Encuesta Sobre Estrategias Empresariales (ESEE) del Ministerio de Industria y Energía. Más concretamente, se va a seguir el enfoque de frontera estocástica para calcular los niveles de eficiencia que se obtienen tras la estimación de una función de producción frontera con dos factores de producción: trabajo y capital privado. Los resultados obtenidos muestran un nivel de eficiencia media entorno al 76-83%, si bien existen importantes diferencias intrasectoriales.The objective of this paper is to analyze the technical efficiency of the Spanish industrial sectors during the period 1991-1994 using the Encuesta Sobre Estrategias Empresariales (ESEE) of the Industry and Energy Ministry. More concretely, the paper follows the stochastic frontier approach to calculate the efficiency levels that are obtained from a production frontier function with two inputs: labour and private capital. The obtained results show a mean efficiency level of 76-83%, even though there are important differences within industrial sectors

Rentabilidad, estructura de mercado y eficiencia en la industria española

En este trabajo se realiza un contraste de las distintas hipótesis explicativas de la rentabilidad en el marco genérico de las hipótesis de colusión versus eficiencia, presentando como principal aportación la utilización de una medida directa de eficiencia. Dicha medida se obtiene mediante la aplicación de técnicas frontera utilizando la información proporcionada por la Encuesta Sobre Estrategias Empresariales para el período 1991-1994 y para los 18 sectores de actividad en los que se ha dividido la muestra. La evidencia obtenida permite, por una parte, rechazar claramente la hipótesis de colusión en la industria española ya que en tan sólo un sector la concentración afecta positivamente a la rentabilidad y, por otra parte, los resultados permiten rechazar en la mayoría de los casos la hipótesis pura de eficiencia, ya que si bien la eficiencia contribuye de forma positiva a explicar las diferencias de rentabilidad, la cuota de mercado, que captataría el efecto del poder de mercado, también afecta de forma positiva. Así, en muchos casos la evidencia obtenida es favorable a la denominada "hipótesis de estructura eficiente modificada"

Patents, technological inputs and spillovers among regions

This paper analyses the importance of different technological inputs (R&D and human capital) and different spillovers in explaining the differences in patenting among Spanish regions in the period 1986-2003. The analysis is based on the estimation of a knowledge production function. A region’s own R&D activities and human capital are observed to have a positive significant effect on innovation output, measured by the number of patents. R&D spillovers weighted by the distance and the volume of trade flows between regions cause positive effects on a region’s patents. However, distance matters more than the intensity of trade flows and the R&D spillover effects between regions are bounded: spillovers from closer regions perform better than spillovers from distant regions. On the opposite side, human capital spillovers do not cause any effect outside the region itself.patents, R&D, human capital, spillovers

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURES AND REGIONAL GROWTH: EVIDENCE OF THE SPANISH CASE

This paper analyses the impact of transport infrastructures on the economic growth of both regions and sectors, distinguishing among modes of transport. It also attempts to capture the spillover effects or network effects associated with transport infrastructures. Two different methodologies are used: the first adopts an accounting approach on the basis of a regression on total factor productivity (TFP) indices, the second uses econometric estimates of the production function. Our study obtains very similar elasticities with both methodologies for the private sector of the economy, both for the aggregate capital stock of transport infrastructures and for the various types of infrastructure. Important network effects of these infrastructures on the private sector have also been observed. However, the disaggregated results for sectors of production are not conclusive. Este trabajo analiza el impacto de las infraestructuras de transporte sobre elcrecimiento económico, tanto regional como sectorial, distinguiendo el análisis pormodo de transporte. Asimismo, se intentan captar los efectos spillover o efectos redasociados a las infraestructuras de transporte. Para ello, se emplean dos metodologíasdiferentes. La primera utiliza una aproximación contable a partir de una regresión sobrelos índices de productividad total de los factores (TFP). La segunda metodología utilizaestimaciones econométricas de la función de producción. Nuestro trabajo obtiene paraambas metodologías elasticidades muy similares para el sector privado de la economía,tanto para el stock de capital agregado de infraestructuras de transporte como para losdiversos tipos de infraestructuras. También se han constatado importantes efectos red deestas infraestructuras sobre el sector privado. Sin embargo, los resultados desagregadospor sectores productivos no son concluyentes.Infraestructuras de transporte, productividad, regiones, sectores. Transport infrastructures, productivity, regions, sectors.

Dimensión regional de la innovación tecnológica

The aim of this paper is to analyze the origin of the geographical distribution of the technological innovation analyzing, at the sometime the effect of such activity on indicators of productivity. For this reason, it is taken as unit of analysis the set of the Spanish autonomous communities in the period 1986-1991. The results show that the regions with greater extemalities of scientific and technological character and with greater regional intervention in matter of R&D are those which concentrate greater volume of technological activities. Also we obtain a positive effect from the regional technological innovation on the productive results of the regions. En este trabajo se analiza el origen de la distribución geográfica de la innovación tecnológica analizando, al mismo tiempo, el efecto de dicha actividad sobre indicadores de productividad. Para ello, se toma como unidad de análisis el conjunto de las comunidades autónomas españolas en el período 1986-1991. Los resultados muestran que son las regiones con mayores extemalidades de carácter tecnológico y científico y con mayor intervención autonómica en materia de I+D las que concentran mayor volumen de actividades tecnológicas. Asimismo se obtienen efectos positivos de la innovación tecnológica regional sobre los resultados productivos de las regiones.Innovación regional, productividad Regional innovation, productivity

Actividad tecnológica y crecimiento económico en las regiones españolas

This paper analyses the importance of R&D activities in the explanation of productivitydifferences among the Spanish regions over the period 1986-96. With this aim, we measure the effectof the own technological innovation and the spillovers effects. The analysis is based on the estimationof a production function and also on the effect of R&D on total factor productivity. The results showsthat although R&D has a significant effect at national level in a long-term period, the effect at regionallevel over the period 1987-96 depend on the technological index used. En este trabajo se analiza la importancia de las actividades tecnológicas en la explicación de las diferencias de productividad de las regiones españolas en el periodo 1986-96. Para ello se cuantifica el efecto de la innovación tecnológica propia de la región y las externalidades asociadas al capital tecnológico sobre el desarrollo regional. El análisis se basa en la estimación de funciones de producción, así como una ecuación explicativa de la productividad total de los factores. Si bien se obtiene un efecto positivo y significativo a nivel nacional en un horizonte de largo plazo, la significatividad del efecto de las actividades tecnológicas sobre la productividad de las regiones españolas en el periodo 1987-96 depende del indicador utilizado.I+D, productividad, convergencia R&D, productivity, convergence

Patents, technological inputs and spillovers among regions

This paper analyses the importance of different technological inputs (R&D and human capital) and different spillovers in explaining the differences in patenting among Spanish regions in the period 1986-2003. The analysis is based on the estimation of a knowledge production function. A region’s own R&D activities and human capital are observed to have a positive significant effect on innovation output, measured by the number of patents. R&D spillovers weighted by the distance and the volume of trade flows between regions cause positive effects on a region’s patents. However, distance matters more than the intensity of trade flows and the R&D spillover effects between regions are bounded: spillovers from closer regions perform better than spillovers from distant regions. On the opposite side, human capital spillovers do not cause any effect outside the region itself

Patents, technological inputs and spillovers among regions

This paper analyses the importance of different technological inputs (R&D and human capital) and different spillovers in explaining the differences in patenting among Spanish regions in the period 1986-2003. The analysis is based on the estimation of a knowledge production function. A region’s own R&D activities and human capital are observed to have a positive significant effect on innovation output, measured by the number of patents. R&D spillovers weighted by the distance and the volume of trade flows between regions cause positive effects on a region’s patents. However, distance matters more than the intensity of trade flows and the R&D spillover effects between regions are bounded: spillovers from closer regions perform better than spillovers from distant regions. On the opposite side, human capital spillovers do not cause any effect outside the region itself

The importance of intangible assets in regional economic growth: a growth accounting approach

Spain is one of the few countries in the world that has information on investment in intangible assets with a regional breakdown, so providing evidence of its importance as a factor in regional growth is the main value added of this paper. Series of capital stock in intangible assets are constructed by regions, which incorporate not only those the national accounts consider as investments and are therefore included in gross value added (GVA), but also the intangible assets not included in GVA, which the recent literature understand to be an important source of economic growth. Using the growth accounting approach, the results show that intangible assets explain 14.3% of Spain’s GVA growth, of which 9.4 pp correspond to the assets included in GVA (software, R&D and intellectual property rights) and 4.9 pp account for the rest (expenditure on design, advertising, market research, firm-provided worker training and improvements to companies’ organizational structure). Notable differences are also seen across the country, with investment in intangibles explaining up to 20% of economic growth in some regions. The importance of the contribution from these intangible assets highlights the need for economic policy measures (including regional policies) that boost investment in intangible assets and improve conditions of access to financing

Transport infrastructures and regional growth: evidence of the Spanish case

This paper analyses the impact of transport infrastructures on the economic growth of both regions and sectors, distinguishing among modes of transport. It also attempts to capture the spillover effects or network effects associated with transport infrastructures. Two different methodologies are used: the first adopts an accounting approach on the basis of a regression on total factor productivity (TFP) indices, the second uses econometric estimates of the production function. Our study obtains very similar elasticities with both methodologies for the private sector of the economy, both for the aggregate capital stock of transport infrastructures and for the various types of infrastructure. Important network effects of these infrastructures on the private sector have also been observed. However, the disaggregated results for sectors of production are not conclusive