The geography of Industry 4.0 technologies across European regions

Carlo Corradini, Erica Santini, Claudia Vecciolini

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Abstract

This paper investigates the spatial distribution of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) considering both region- and technology-specific factors. Focusing on patent data for four technologies at the core of I4.0 between 2000 and 2014, we provide evidence of their uneven distribution across NUTS-2 European regions. Our analysis confirms the role of regional absorptive capacity, cognitive and spatial proximity as drivers of I4.0 knowledge flows, but also indicates important variations among these technologies. Cumulated technological capabilities and spatial proximity exert a stronger effect on the diffusion of robots and 3D printing, whereas big data and the Internet of Things tend to be more spatially distributed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1667-1680
Number of pages14
JournalRegional Studies
Volume55
Issue number10-11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Regional Studies Association.

Keywords

  • Industry 4.0
  • absorptive capacity
  • knowledge spillovers
  • relatedness
  • technology diffusion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Science(all)
  • Social Sciences(all)

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