6533b852fe1ef96bd12aa3fb

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Clubs de convergence et effets de débordements géographiques : une analyse spatiale sur données régionales européennes, 1980-1995

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Our article offers an econometric model of spatial interactions for the empirical analysis of growth in European regions over the period 1980-1995. The model detects spatial spillover effects and makes it possible to take account of the European economy’s strong polarization. More specifically, by factoring in both spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity, we characterize the economic polarization pattern in European regions, identify convergence clubs, and model them as spatial regimes. We estimate a two-regime model with spatially autocorrelated errors and show that the convergence process differs between the two regimes. We find a strongly significant spatial spillover effect : the average growth rate of per capita GDP of a given region is positively affected by the average growth rate of neighboring regions. The spatial environment therefore plays a prominent role in the study of growth processes.