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This paper investigates the convergence process and the distribution dynamics of income among Italian NUTS-3 provinces between 2003 and 2011. Findings show the existence of multiple steady-state eq...

Recent years witnessed a growing interest in the concept of well-being and quality of life, as alternative to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The determinants of well-being, especially at the regional and provincial levels, is understudied in a macro perspective, as opposed to a micro perspective (individuals, survey data) that has been the dominant approach until recently. In this paper, we estimate an empirical model for the Italian NUTS-3 provinces to evaluate the role of social capital on well-being by using aggregated (provincial) data. Our findings suggest that social capital, social security programs, income, and grant-making activities by Bank Foundations, even though not uniformly distributed across Italy, positively affect well-being, thus contributing to explain the persistent dualism that characterizes the Italian economy.

New entrepreneurial ventures may represent a viable and effective mechanism to transform academic knowledge into regional economic growth. We test this notion for the Italian provinces between 2001 and 2006. We evaluate three outputs of academic activities: teaching, research and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) activities management. New ventures may be able to transform the mentioned outputs into improved economic performance. The findings show that the effects of academic outputs on provincial economic growth (all sectors) are appreciable when they are associated with sustained entrepreneurial activities in the province. It suggests that academic inquiry may provide new ventures with valuable commercial opportunities overseen by established companies.

This study investigates the influence of the unemployment rate on firm entry, exit and net entry in Italian provinces. We attempt to explain these market dynamics in six different sectors, including manufacturing, construction, commerce, hotels and restaurants, transport and financial services. We control for other regional factors, such as patenting activity, economic growth, economic welfare, tourism, industrial districts and whether being a major city. Findings indicate that the effects of unemployment on entry and exit are dependent upon the sector under study, but are mainly negative. This suggests a lack of dynamics in the Italian regional labor markets.

In this article we explore the impact of a series of factors, including creativity, intellectual property rights activities, new business formation, and the provision of amenities, on economic growth for 103 italian provinces over the period spanning 2001 to 2006. Provincial growth rates are measured in terms of employment growth and value-added growth. The findings reveal that an increase in the number of firms active in the creative industries and net entry have a positive effect on regional employment growth. The share of legal immigrants is also found to positively impact employment growth. A high number of university faculties is found to lead to less employment growth, whereas trademarks, patents, cultural amenities, and industrial districts have no significant effect. Value-added growth is for a large part determined by employment growth, but no additional productivity-enhancing effects of the factors discussed are found.

We analyse the process of landfill diversion embedding the dynamics in a frame where economic, geographical and policy variables enter the arena. We aim at investigating in depth what main drivers may be responsible for such a phenomenon. We exploit a rich panel dataset covering all the 103 Italian provinces. The case study on Italy is worth being considered provided that Italy is a main country in the EU, thus offering important pieces of information on the evaluation of policies. Evidence shows that the observed decoupling between economic growth and landfilling is driven by a mix of structural factors, as population density and waste management strategies. If on the one hand, the landfill tax is not arising as a significant driver of the phenomenon, other waste management instruments are associated with high significant negative effect on landfilled waste. In association to the features of the tariff system, we also underline the key role played by the share of separated collection in driving down landfilling of waste. Both the evolution of collection and tariff system are joint factors that may drive a wedge between the comparative waste performances of northern and southern regions.

The paper adopts a new perspective to investigate the characteristics of innovation clusters within and across Italian NUTS3 regions (province). Patents are used as relational data connecting inventors to applicants along a dual interpretation of a “knowledge production” and a “knowledge utilization” function. The paper intends to map and measure the structure and the evolution of a series of innovation sub-systems (both at territorial level and at the industry level) in two different periods of time, 1987-1991 and 1997-2001 to detect how networks of inventors and applicants have changed over time. The paper uses the CRENoS database on regional patenting, built on EPO data, spanning from 1978 to 2001 and uses two complementary analytical tools (network analysis and spatial econometrics) in order to analyse the behaviours of inventors and applicants within 103 Italian NUTS3 regions (province) and 5 specific industries chosen according to the Pavitt’s taxonomy (Footwear, Textiles, Chemicals, Personal Computers and Machine). The paper deals with the following research questions. Is the polarisation of the geographical structure of the innovative activity in Italy, replicated both at the inventors and at the applicant level? Which are the relevant changes in the 20 years? Can we distinguish between a “knowledge production function” and a “knowledge utilisation function”? Which is the structure of knowledge flows between inventors and applicants in Italian provinces? Are there industry-specific differences? Which are the determinants of the knowledge flows between Italian provinces?

In the last decade, there has been a tremendous growth in the number of credit brokers (CB) in Italy. Some estimates maintain that about a quarter of residential mortgage loans are intermediated by CB (Europe Economics, 2009); their market shares of some leasing and consumer credit products are also significant. Despite the importance of credit brokerage services, little empirical research has been devoted to investigating its origins. In this paper we undertake an analysis of CB diffusion in Italian provinces (NUTS3 level) based on spatial panel data model that aims to estimate the relevance of spatial effects. Two models are developed in order to identify the determinants of this phenomenon. The results emphasize that CB diffusion is to some extent influenced by the socioeconomic and banking features of the area, but estimates reveal also the emergence of a ‘herding effect’ whose occurrence is probably due to the fact that access to the brokerage profession is not hindered by heavy regulatory requirements.

Santarelli e., carree m. And verheul i. Unemployment and firm entry and exit: an update on a controversial relationship, regional studies. The present study explores the relationship between unemployment and subsequent firm entry and exit for 103 italian provinces for the period 1997–2003. Two models are estimated. The first model concentrates on unemployed individuals starting or closing a business in the province in which they live. The second model incorporate cross-border effects by taking into account possible start-ups by unemployed individuals from adjacent provinces. Findings show that a positive effect of unemployment on net entry is not due to a positive ‘push’ effect on entry, but rather to a negative effect of unemployment on firm exit. This indicates a lack of dynamics in the italian labour market. Santarelli e., carree m. Et verheul i. Le chômage et l'entrée et la sortie des entreprises: une mise à jour d'un rapport controversé, regional studies. La présente étude cherche à examiner le rapport entre le chômage et l'entrée et la sortie ultérieures des entreprises pour 103 provinces italiennes pendant la période allant de 1997 jusqu'à 2003. On estime deux modèles. Quant au premier modèle, on se concentre sur les chômeurs qui créent ou qui ferment une entreprise dans la province où ils habitent. Pour ce qui est du deuxième modèle, on y inclut des effets transfrontaliers, en tenant compte des créations d'entreprise éventuelles par les chômeurs qui habitent les provinces limitrophes. Il s'avère que l'effet positif du chômage sur l'entrée nette ne s'explique pas par un effet ‘moteur’ positif au moment de l'entrée mais plutôt par l'effet négatif du chômage sur la sortie des entreprises. Ceci indique un manque de dynamique sur le marché du travail italien. Chômage entrée et sortie des entreprises provinces italiennes santarelli e., carree m. Und verheul i. Arbeitslosigkeit und betriebsgründungen bzw.-schließungen: aktuelle informationen zu einer kontroversen beziehung, regional studies. In dieser studie wird die beziehung zwischen arbeitslosigkeit und anschließenden betriebsgründungen bzw.-schließungen in 103 italienischen provinzen im zeitraum von 1997 bis 2003 untersucht. Wir stellen schätzungen anhand von zwei modellen auf. Im ersten modell konzentrieren wir uns auf arbeitslose einzelpersonen, die in der provinz, in der sie leben, einen betrieb gründen oder schließen. Im zweiten modell integrieren wir grenzübergreifende auswirkungen, indem wir mögliche neugründungen durch arbeitslose einzelpersonen aus angrenzenden provinzen berücksichtigen. Aus den ergebnissen geht hervor, dass eine positive auswirkung der arbeitslosigkeit auf die nettozahl der firmengründungen nicht auf einen positiven ‘push’-effekt auf die betriebsgründungen zurückzuführen ist, sondern vielmehr auf einen negativen effekt der arbeitslosigkeit auf die betriebsschließungen. Dies weist auf eine mangelnde dynamik des italienischen arbeitsmarkts hin. Arbeitslosigkeit betriebsgründungen und –schließungen italienische provinzen santarelli e., carree m. Y verheul i. Desempleo y entrada y salida de empresas: actualización de una relación controvertida, regional studies. En el presente estudio analizamos la relación entre el desempleo y la posterior entrada y salida de empresas para 103 provincias italianas durante el periodo de 1997 a 2003. Evaluamos dos modelos. En el primer modelo nos centramos en personas desempleadas, que empiezan o cierran un negocio en la provincia en la que viven. En el segundo modelo incorporamos los efectos transfronterizos teniendo en cuenta posibles empresas emergentes por parte de personas en paro de provincias adyacentes. Los resultados indican que un efecto positivo del desempleo en la entrada neta no se debe a un efecto positivo de ‘empuje’ sino a un efecto negativo del desempleo al cerrar las empresas. Esto indica una falta de dinámica en el mercado laboral italiano. Desempleo entrada y salida de empresas provincias italianas.

This article investigates the determinants of new venture creation across industries and locations for 103 italian provinces between 1997 and 2003. Allowing for differences in regional opportunities across industries, we investigate the impact of a range of factors, including policy initiatives, on new firm formation in manufacturing, retailing and wholesaling, hotels and restaurants. Our results show that regions with industrial districts are characterized by higher start-up rates in manufacturing and that wage costs deter entry in this industry. Firm entry in commercial sectors appears to be higher in large cities and areas with strong economic progress. For hotels and restaurants we find that tourism positively influences new firm formation. We do not find a significant effect of recently introduced regional laws promoting new firm formation in italy.este artículo investiga los factores determinantes de la creación de empresas en los sectores y localizaciones industriales de 103 provincias italianas entre 1997 y 2003. Teniendo en cuenta las diferencias de las oportunidades regionales en todas las industrias, investigamos el impacto de una serie de factores entre los que se incluyen las iniciativas de política, sobre la creación de nuevas empresas en la fabricación, el comercio mayorista y minorista, los hoteles y restaurantes. Nuestros resultados indican que las regiones con distritos industriales se caracterizan por un índice más alto de puesta en marcha de empresas fabriles y que los costes salariales impiden la entrada en esta industria. La entrada de empresas en los sectores comerciales parece más alta en las ciudades grandes y en las zonas de gran progreso económico. En cuanto a los hoteles y restaurantes encontramos que el turismo tiene una influencia positiva sobre la creación de nuevas empresas. No encontramos ningún efecto significativo de las leyes regionales recién introducidas para fomentar la creación de nuevas empresas en italia.

This article provides empirical evidence on delinking and Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for municipal waste generation in Italy. A disaggregated panel data-set on Italian Provinces is exploited. The empirical analysis of different specifications shows a first evidence in favour of an EKC relationship with regard to waste generation. Nevertheless, the turning point (TP) is at very high levels of added value per capita (around 23 000-26 000€), which concern a very limited number of wealthy Northern Italian provinces. Finally, the test on some waste management instruments proxies, leads to the conclusion that they are not yet impacting waste generation. To lower the TPs and to avoid an increasing gap between geographical areas, market based and more effective policy instruments should be implemented. In particular, the weight of waste policies should be rebalanced towards waste prevention targets according to the European waste hierarchy.