Technology, Learning, and Long Run Economic Growth in Leading and Lagging Regions
Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 49, No. 14, pp. 92-96, 2014
Posted: 8 Apr 2014
There are 2 versions of this paper
Technology, Learning, and Long Run Economic Growth in Leading and Lagging Regions
Date Written: April 8, 2014
Abstract
This paper uses a dynamic model to study the effects of technology and learning on the long run economic growth rates of a leading and a lagging region. New technologies are developed in the leading region but technological improvements in the lagging region are the result of learning from the leading region's technologies. The analysis sheds light on four salient questions. First, the paper determines the long run growth rate of output per human capital unit in the leading region. Second, it defines a lagging to leading region technology ratio, studies its stability properties, and then uses this ratio to ascertain the long run growth rate of output per human capital unit in the lagging region. Third, for specific parameter values, it analyzes the ratio of output per human capital unit in the lagging region to output per human capital unit in the leading region when both regions have converged to their balanced growth paths. Finally, the paper discusses the policy implications of our analysis and then offers suggestions for extending the research described here.
Keywords: Human Capital, Lagging Region, Leading Region, Learning, Technology
JEL Classification: R11, O33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation