This article explores the spatial distribution of regional technology indicatorsin the EU over the last decade and its impact on cohesion. Thus, we find thatpublic R&D spending and patent applications have converged among regions duringthe nineties. On the other hand, private R&D activities have diverged, as a result of anasymmetric expansion during the second half of the nineties. We show that when thedispersion of public R&D across regions diminished in the second half of the nineties,income disparities at regional level also decreased. Therefore, while technologypolicy based on efficiency criteria should remain as a policy tool for economicgrowth, this policy should be counterbalanced by R&D funds to the least developedregions to maintain economic cohesion
