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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2006.11.006 Byline: Sourafel Girma, Katharine Wakelin Keywords: Foreign direct investment; Production functions; Spillovers; Regional development Abstract: The paper examines whether productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment are geographically limited. Using plant-level data from the U.K. electronics sector, it finds robust evidence of both intra-industry and inter-industry spillovers from regional FDI. By contrast, it fails to establish any discernible relationship between domestic plant's productivity and FDI outside the region. Author Affiliation: Nottingham University Business School, Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, United Kingdom Article History: Accepted 6 November 2006

This paper examines potential explanations for recent declines in teenage pregnancy in England. We estimate panel data models of teenage conception, birth and abortion rates from regions in England. Although point estimates are consistent with the promotion of long acting reversible contraception (LARC) having a negative impact on teenage pregnancy rates, the effects are generally small and statistically insignificant. In contrast, improvements in educational achievement and, to a lesser extent, increases in the non-white proportion of the population are associated with large and statistically significant reductions in teenage pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We investigate whether inward foreign direct investment (FDI), either at the firm or industry level, has any impact on product innovation by Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). We use a comprehensive firm-level panel data set of some 20,000 SOEs during 1999–2005. Our results show that foreign capital participation at the firm level is associated with higher innovative activity. Inward FDI in the sector, by contrast, has a negative effect on innovative activity in SOEs on average. However, there is a positive effect of sector-level FDI on SOEs that export, invest in human capital, or undertake R&D. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]