Edward Elgar Publishing Trade Specialisation, Technology and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence from Advanced Countries (New Horizons in the Economics of Innovation series)

How does Ricardian specialisation affect economic development in relatively advanced countries? Keld Laursen, inspired by the myriad newly-emergent neoclassical/new industrial economics contributions, makes a detailed study of the role of specialisation and structural change in advanced economies. Until now, these theoretical contributions have not been subjected to a systematic empirical investigation. The three key questions are:•⊂ Do countries converge or diverge in terms of their specialisation patterns over time?•⊂ Can the role of technology explain the direction of national trade specialisation?•⊂ What are the implications of international specialisation patterns (and their changes) for economic growth? This study will be of immense interest to postgraduates and researchers working on theories and practices of innovation, trade, and growth. Review '. . . the econometric skill shown here indicates that these authors are in the best position to introduce into mainstream economics some of the issues which have for long been debated in science and technology policy studies.' About the Author Keld Laursen, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark