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<p>This paper examines long-term trajectories of the spatial concentration of innovation activity across regions in 30 European countries using patent data covering the period 1980–2022. The study combines individual, geolocated patent data with regionally aggregated statistics and applies two complementary measures of spatial concentration: the Gini index and the Entropy–Tessellation–Agglomeration (ETA) index. The analysis reveals a robust U-shaped trajectory in the spatial distribution of patenting activity. From the 1980s until the early 2010s, innovation became progressively more dispersed within countries, while in the most recent decade, from the early 2010s until 2022, a renewed phase of spatial re-concentration has emerged. Although Central-Eastern European countries experienced a stronger decline in spatial concentration during the diffusion phase, they remained more spatially concentrated than Western European countries throughout the entire period. The levels of spatial concentration observed in Central-Eastern Europe are similar to those reached in Western Europe in the 1980s. These findings suggest that the spatial de-concentration of innovation is temporary rather than permanent. This reflects the coexistence of two competing policy forces in Europe: cohesion-oriented programmes driving spatial de-concentration, and excellence-oriented innovation policies resulting in the re-agglomeration of patents. The results emphasise the non-linear nature of spatial innovation dynamics and the limitations of policy-induced spatial equalisation in innovation-driven economies.</p>

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Has the East met the West? Spatial Dynamics of Innovation in Europe

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月30日

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  • Katarzyna Kopczewska,
  • Katarzyna Piotrowska

摘要

This paper examines long-term trajectories of the spatial concentration of innovation activity across regions in 30 European countries using patent data covering the period 1980–2022. The study combines individual, geolocated patent data with regionally aggregated statistics and applies two complementary measures of spatial concentration: the Gini index and the Entropy–Tessellation–Agglomeration (ETA) index. The analysis reveals a robust U-shaped trajectory in the spatial distribution of patenting activity. From the 1980s until the early 2010s, innovation became progressively more dispersed within countries, while in the most recent decade, from the early 2010s until 2022, a renewed phase of spatial re-concentration has emerged. Although Central-Eastern European countries experienced a stronger decline in spatial concentration during the diffusion phase, they remained more spatially concentrated than Western European countries throughout the entire period. The levels of spatial concentration observed in Central-Eastern Europe are similar to those reached in Western Europe in the 1980s. These findings suggest that the spatial de-concentration of innovation is temporary rather than permanent. This reflects the coexistence of two competing policy forces in Europe: cohesion-oriented programmes driving spatial de-concentration, and excellence-oriented innovation policies resulting in the re-agglomeration of patents. The results emphasise the non-linear nature of spatial innovation dynamics and the limitations of policy-induced spatial equalisation in innovation-driven economies.