CREF Talk April, 26th 2023
The quality of specialization and export performance of local economies: methodological issues
Speaker : Lelio Iapadre (University of L’Aquila and UNU-CRIS, Bruges)
Speaker : Lelio Iapadre (University of L’Aquila and UNU-CRIS, Bruges)
Specialization or diversification? The theoretical and empirical literature on the economic growth of regions and local production systems has investigated the linkages between the economic development of a territory and the structural features of its specialization pattern. Several
analyses have highlighted how a gradual diversification of the economic structure of a region can support its growth and reduce its vulnerability to external shocks. Others continue to emphasize the importance of specialization consistent with the region’s comparative advantages.
In this talk, I will discuss the properties and the heuristic value of some statistical indicators, measuring general features of an economy’s export specialization pattern, which can influence its performance and resilience to external shocks. The survey will consider simple traditional
measures of concentration and diversification of comparative advantages, as well as more complex indicators, including measures of the dynamic efficiency of trade specialization, related and unrelated variety, and economic complexity.