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Valentina Di Iasio (DiECO Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Varese)

& Ernest Miguelez (GREThA – CNRS)

« The ties that bind…and transform: knowledge remittances, relatedness and the direction of technical change »

Abstract:
This study investigates whether the existence of a high-skilled diaspora has a positive impact on the technological diversifi\u000Ccation of the countries of origin. Speci\u000Cfically, we analyze the role of emigrant inventors as vectors of knowledge remittances. We focus on a sample of 137 countries of origin, with a special attention to developing countries, and 5 countries of destination: United States, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom and France. To take into account the uneven distribution of knowledge within destination countries we break down the analysis at the metropolitan area level. We also analyze how knowledge remittances and relatedness density interplay in shaping the diversi\u000Ccation path of migrants’ home countries. Our results suggest that the inventors’ diaspora exposes the countries of origin to new technologies and has a positive effect on technological diversi\u000Ccation. The results particularly hold for technologies with lower degrees of relatedness density and for developing countries, suggesting a positive role oh high-skilled diaspora in helping developing economies to access foreign knowledge and prevent technological lock-in.