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Despite contributions, most of the studies on electronic‐telecommunications trade are conducted within the framework of a global value chain and mainly based on an enterprise‐level. The global trade structure and dynamics of electronic‐telecommunications are still mysterious. In this paper, by deriving trade data of electronic‐telecommunications between countries (regions) from the UN Comtrade Database, characteristics in product, space and network of the global electronic‐telecommunications trade from 2000 to 2017 are explored, and the factors influencing its evolution. The results indicate that telecommunications equipment is gradually replacing electronic integrated circuits, thus leading the development of global trade on electronic‐telecommunications. In space, the global import pattern of electronic‐telecommunications has always been a tri‐polar pattern dominated by Asia‐Pacific, Europe, and North America, while the geography of global electronic‐telecommunications export has undergone fundamental changes, most notably the rise of the East Asia region represented by Mainland China. The global trade center in electronic and communication products has changed from USA to China. In terms of network structure, the global electronic‐telecommunications trade network continues to expand, showing significant small‐world and core‐peripheral characteristics, and a more competitive multi‐centric core is observed. In addition, Quadratic Assignment Procedure analysis indicates that culture proximity, innovation differences, and manufacturing differences have a positive effect on the international trade, while geographical distance, economic gap, openness gap, trade gap, and infrastructure gap play negative roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the extent to which threshold firms have emerged within British Columbia's wood processing industries. Threshold firms comprise an innovative business segment and are growth oriented, larger than most small firms but not giant, locally owned, international in scope at least with respect to exporting, reliant on skilled, well paid employees, and that have developed knowledge-based product market advantages. The analysis draws on an extended case study survey of 14 firms located in the lower mainland and Okanagan regions of British Columbia, and selected for their potential as threshold firms. The analysis examines six characteristics associated with threshold firms: size and ownership, internationalization, wood supply, labor relations, innovative design and collaboration, and local embeddedness. These firms reveal attributes of threshold firms, and the paper concludes by suggesting that an innovative forest policy for British Columbia could usefully focus on this type of firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks whether the technological development of a nation reduces the inter‐regional hierarchy in knowledge flow. We examine two scenarios that are the alternative to each other. The first is what we call the globalization of regional innovation system/weakening of inter‐regional hierarchy scenario: As many regions develop their niches in the global economy, the national "anchor" region loses its relative importance as the importer and distributor of new knowledge, rendering the domestic inter‐regional hierarchy less significant as a result. The second scenario is the globalization of national innovation system/persistence of inter‐regional hierarchy. The nation's traditional anchor region becomes even more active in importing technology and distributing it to other regions of the country. To test which scenario is closer to reality, we employ social network metrics to analyse inter‐regional technology diffusion networks using Chinese patent licensing data for the 1998–2013 period. Our findings support the second scenario, showing that the influence of the traditional anchor region persists in the hierarchical network structure as new cities enter the network. We found five anchor regions: the three usual suspects—Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen—plus two that were slightly less expected—Dongguan and Suzhou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation and international trade are crucial determinants of economic growth. Research on economic growth has mainly focused on the possible link between innovation and economic growth as well as the link between international trade and economic growth. Yet, research on the nexus that exists among innovation, international trade, and economic growth has remained unexplored. Moreover, research on the individual contributing factor of innovation and international trade to economic growth in the same study has equally remained unexplored. Thus, to address these gaps, this study evaluated the connection among all three variables. It further examined the individual contributing factor of innovation and international trade to economic growth. Annual time‐series data of the Ghanaian economy over a period of 2000–2019 was employed in this study. The findings established that all three variables: innovation, international trade, and economic growth cointegrated. This implies that there was a long‐run equilibrium association between all three variables. The study further estimated long‐run cointegration parameters using the fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares. The results proved that there was evidence of a positive correlation between economic growth and innovation, while there was a negative correlation between economic growth and international trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]