Creative industries, new business formation and regional economic growth

The present study explores the impact exerted by a series of factors and processes including creativity, IPR activities, new business formation and the provision of amenities on economic growth for 103 Italian provinces (NUTS 3) over the period between 2001 and 2006. Provincial growth rates are measured alternatively by value added growth and employment growth. Findings show a positive effect of the increase in the number of firms active in the creative industries, net entry, and a greater provision of leisure amenities on regional economic growth. A large portion of employment in the manufacturing, mining, and energy sector, and a high relative number of university faculties are found to lead to slower economic growth, whereas trademarks, patents, cultural amenities and industrial districts do not affect economic growth. Finally, the share of legal immigrants is found to have a positive impact on employment growth

Focal adhesion molecules as potential target of lead toxicity in NRK-52E cell line

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the influence of inorganic lead (Pb(II)), an environmental pollutant having nephrotoxic action, on the focal adhesion (FA) organization of a rat kidney epithelial cell line (NRK-52E). In particular, we evaluated the effects of the metal on the recruitment of paxillin, focal adhesion kinase, vinculin and cytoskeleton proteins at the FAs complexes. We provided evidences that, in proliferating NRK-52E cell cultures, low concentrations of Pb(II) affect the cell adhesive ability and stimulate the disassembly of FAs, thus inhibiting the integrin-activated signalling. These effects appeared to be strictly associated to the Pb-induced arrest of cell cycle at G0/G1 phase also proved in this cell line

Patents and the Geographic Localization of R&D Spillovers in French Manufacturing

This paper adopts a “geography of innovation” approach to test for France the hypothesis that patent activity within each administrative region is related to corporate expenditures in R&D in that territory, as well as research expenditures undertaken in universities located in the same area. It emerges that French manufacturing firms (both private and state-owned) benefit significantly from knowledge produced within the geographical area in which they are located, although the coefficient estimated for the university R&D variable is equally significant but higher than that for the industry R&D one. At the regional level, university research therefore turns out to be the most crucial source of knowledge spillovers for the innovative activities of manufacturing firms

Analysing Literature-Based Innovation Output Indicators: The Italian Experience

This paper presents the results of a study on the product innovations introduced in the Italian market in 1989 and reported in a selected number of trade journals. The analysis of data collected by means of this literaure-based counting procedure confirms that R&D oriented industries and large firms do not in Italy have a marked competitive advantage in innovation. The country appears to be instead characterized by a significant presence of consumer goods industries and small firms in innovation. Our data indicate a statistically significant association between trade competitiveness and strength in product innovation, and show the comparatively higher capacity for product innovation of some of the industries in which Italy achieves a positive performance in international trade. Moreover, the presence of spillovers as the regional level from both private and public R&D expenditures proves to be positively correlated with the development of product innovations. Finally, small firms with fewer than 50 emloyees appear to be more innovative than is usually believed to be the case

The More You Spend, the More You Get? The Effects of R&D and Capital Expenditures on the Patenting Activities of Biotechnology Firms - IPTS WORKING PAPER on CORPORATE R&D AND INNOVATION - No. 6/2010

This paper provides evidence on the mechanisms influencing the patent output of a sample of biotechnology firms from the input of indirect knowledge acquired from capital expenditures and direct knowledge from in-house R&D. Statistical models of counts are used to analyse the relationship between patent applications and R&D and capital expenditures. It focuses on biotechnology in the period 2002-2007 and is based on a unique data set drawn from various sources including the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, the European Patent Office (EPO), the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO/PCT). The statistical models employed in the paper are Poisson distribution generalisations with the actual distribution of patent counts fitting the negative binomial distribution and gamma distribution very well. Findings support the idea that capital expenditures ¿ taken as equivalent to technological change embodied in new machinery and capital equipment - may also play a crucial role in the development of new patentable items from scientific companies. For EPO patents, this role appears even more important than that played by R&D expenditures. The overall picture emerging from our analysis of the determinants of patenting in biotechnology is that the innovation process involves a well balanced combination of inputs from both R&D and new machinery and capital equipment.JRC.DDG.J.3-Knowledge for Growt

The More You Spend, the More You Get? The Effects of R&D and Capital Expenditures on the Patenting Activities of Biotechnology Firms

This paper provides evidence on the mechanisms influencing the patent output of a sample of biotechnology firms from the input of indirect knowledge acquired from capital expenditures and direct knowledge from in-house R&D. Statistical models of counts are used to analyse the relationship between patent applications and R&D investment and capital expenditures. It focuses on biotechnology in the period 2002-2007 and is based on a unique data set drawn from various sources including the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, the European Patent Office (EPO), the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO/PCT). The statistical models employed in the paper are Poisson distribution generalisations with the actual distribution of patent counts fitting the negative binomial distribution and gamma distribution very well. Findings support the idea that capital expenditures – taken as equivalent to technological change embodied in new machinery and capital equipment - may also play a crucial role in the development of new patentable items from scientific companies. For EPO patents, this role appears even more important than that played by R&D investment. The overall picture emerging from our analysis of the determinants of patenting in biotechnology is that the innovation process involves a well-balanced combination of inputs from both R&D and new machinery and capital equipment

Al servizio degli altri. Lavoro di cura e lavoro per la comunit\ue0 negli Enti di Terzo Settore dell\u2019Emilia-Romagna

L\u2019articolo si propone di analizzare il contributo degli Enti di Terzo Settore in Emilia-Romagna in termini di occupazione (dimensioni, qualit\ue0, tendenze). In particolare saranno illustrati e commentati i dati del \u201cPrimo censimento permanente sulle Istituzioni Non Profit\u201d realizzato dall\u2019Istat (2017) comparando, per quanto possibile, le risultanze relative alla nostra regione con quelle nazionali al fine di metterne in luce similarit\ue0 e differenze (specificit\ue0). Il presente contributo intende approfondire l\u2019apporto delle risorse umane (volontari e personale retribuito) con riferimento ai diversi settori di intervento in cui operano gli ETS: Cultura, sport e ricreazione; Istruzione e ricerca; Sanit\ue0; Assistenza sociale e protezione civile; Ambiente; Sviluppo economico e coesione sociale; Tutela dei diritti e attivit\ue0 politica; Filantropia e promozione del volontariato; Cooperazione e solidariet\ue0 internazionale; Religione; Relazioni sindacali e rappresentanza di interessi. Nonch\ue9 in relazione alle diverse tipologie giuridiche ed organizzative: associazioni riconosciute; associazioni non riconosciute; cooperative sociali; fondazioni; istituzioni con altra forma giuridica (enti ecclesiastici civilmente riconosciuti, comitati, societ\ue0 di mutuo soccorso, istituzioni sanitarie o educative, imprese sociali con forma giuridica di impresa)

The More You Spend, the More You Get? The Effects of R&D and Capital Expenditures on the Patenting Activities of Biotechnology Firms

This paper provides evidence on the mechanisms influencing the patent output of a sample of biotechnology firms from the input of indirect knowledge acquired from capital expenditures and direct knowledge from in-house R&D. Statistical models of counts are used to analyse the relationship between patent applications and R&D investment and capital expenditures. It focuses on biotechnology in the period 2002-2007 and is based on a unique data set drawn from various sources including the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, the European Patent Office (EPO), the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO/PCT). The statistical models employed in the paper are Poisson distribution generalisations with the actual distribution of patent counts fitting the negative binomial distribution and gamma distribution very well. Findings support the idea that capital expenditures – taken as equivalent to technological change embodied in new machinery and capital equipment - may also play a crucial role in the development of new patentable items from scientific companies. For EPO patents, this role appears even more important than that played by R&D investment. The overall picture emerging from our analysis of the determinants of patenting in biotechnology is that the innovation process involves a well-balanced combination of inputs from both R&D and new machinery and capital equipment.Patents, R&D, Capital expenditure, Poisson models, Biotechnology