Networks, spatial diffusion of technological knowledge and regional economic growth: an agent-based modelling approach

Abstract

This paper applies an agent-based model to simulate the impact of different network structures on spatial diffusion of knowledge and regional technological progress. Main results are: 1information network structures have a significant impact on both spatial information diffusion and regional technological progress 2information diffusion in networks is only imperfect, i.e., accumulated knowledge in regional networks correspond only to a constant fraction of technological knowledge generated in leader regions? 3this fraction is c.p. higher for scale-free (SF) networks when compared to random and small-world network (SWN) 4this fraction increased for SF networks with the preferential attachment parameter and for small world networks with the a-parameter 5in contrast to classical catch-up models our network approach to spatial diffusion of technological knowledge implies that except for extreme centralised or dense networks catching-up does not occur.