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Forschung

  • Lagging regions and policy

    Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Tobias Hertrich, Franziska Pudelko, Sven Wardenburg

    The growing inequality between regions is one of the main economic problems in Germany, the EU and many other spatial entities. Various policy measures, such as the GRW funds, are taken in order to foster economic development in the lagging regions. Our research agenda aims to support policy makers by enlarging the understanding for economic dynamics and innovativeness in lagging regions, by providing indicators for structural weaknesses and classifications of regions, and by examining the effects of policy measures and their dependence on regional circumstances. Part of this research is done within the projekt StRegInno funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research.

    Related publications:
    - Wardenburg, S.; Brenner, T. (2020): How to improve the quality of life in peripheral and lagging regions by policy measures? Examining the effects of two different policies in Germany. Journal of Regional      Science, DOI: 10.1111/jors.12500.
    - Eberle, J.; Brenner, T.; Mitze, T. (2020): Public Research, Local Knowledge Transfer, and Regional Development: Insights from a Structural VAR Model. International Regional Science Review 43(6), 555-586.
    - Abraham, M.; Brenner, T.; Eberle, J.; Gniza, J.; Lehmann, I.; Wardenburg, S.; Wrede, M. (2020): Gerechtigkeit schlägt Effizienz: Prinzipien der regionalen Umverteilung, Sozialer Fortschritt 69, 73-95.
    - Brenner, T.; Pudelko, F. (2019): The effects of public research and subsidies on regional structural strength. Journal of Evolutionary Economics 29, 1433-1458.
    - Eberle, J.; Brenner, T.; Mitze, T. (2019): A look behind the curtain: Measuring the complex economic effects of regional structural funds in Germany, Papers in Regional Science 98, 701-735.

  • New technologies and innovation - spatial distribution and policy

    Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Tobias Ebert, Franziska Pudelko, Sidonia von Proff, Sonja zu Jeddeloh

    The emergence of new technologies and innovations is not equally distributed in space. Besides studying innovation efficiency, innovation networks and various regional determinants – theoretically based on the concept of Regional Innovation Systems –, the research agenda also focuses on the innovativeness of start-ups and the spatial distribution of some new industries. Currently the focus is on the wind energy industry and the bioeconomy. The latter focus is part of the project BioTOP financed by the German Ministry of Education and Research, which deals with policy options for fostering the bioeconomy.

    Related publications:
    - Ebert, T.; Brenner, T.; Brixy, U. (2019): New firm survival: the interdependence between regional externalities and innovativeness, Small Business Economics 53, 287-309.
    - Broekel, T.; Rogge, N.; Brenner, T. (2018): The innovation efficiency of German regions – a shared-input DEA approach, Review of Regional Research 38, 77-109.
    - Lata, R.; von Proff, S.; Brenner, T. (2018): The influence of distance types on co-patenting and co-publisching in the USA and Europe over time, Annals of Regional Science 61, 49-71.
    - Broekel, T.; Brachert, M.; Duschl, M.; Brenner, T. (2017): Joint R&D subsidies, related variety, and regional innovation, International Regional Science Review 40, 297-326.
    - Scholl, T.; Brenner, T.; Wendel, M. (2016): Evolving localization patterns of company fondations – Evidence from the German MST-industry, Journal of Evolutionary Economics 26(5), 1067-1087.
    - Brenner, T.; Murmann, J.P. (2016): Using simulation experiments to test historical explanations: the development of the German dye industry 1857-1913, Journal of Evoluationary Economics 26, 907-932.
    - Lata, R.; Scherngell, T.; Brenner, T. (2015): Integration processes in European R&D: A comparative spatial interaction approach using project based R&D networks, co-patent networks and co-publication networks, Geographical Analysis 47, 349-375.
    - Brökel, T.; Bürger, M.; Brenner, T. (2015): An investigation of the relation between cooperation intensity and the innovative success of German regions, Spatial Economic Analysis 10, 52-78.
    - Dettmann, A.; von Proff, S.; Brenner, T. (2015): Co-operation over distance? The spatial dimension of inter-organizational innovation collaboration, Journal of Evolutionary Economics 25, 729-753.
    - Wanzenböck, I.; Scherngell,T.; Brenner, T. (2014): Embeddedness of regions in European knowledge networks. A comparative analysis of inter-regional R&D collaborations, co-patents and co-publications, Annals of Regional Science 53, 337-368.
    - von Proff, S.; Brenner, T. (2014): The dynamics of inter-regional collaboration – An analysis of co-patenting, The Annals of Regional Science 52, 41-64.
    - Schimke, A.; Brenner, T. (2014): The role of R&D investments in highly R&D-based firms, Studies in Economics and Finance 31, 3-45.

  • Nexus of climate change, human (im)mobility, and health

    Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Ann-Christine Link

    Climate change is considered a risk multiplier not only when it comes to human (im)mobility (migration, displacement, and planned relocation) but also health (physical and mental). The goal of the working group is to disentangle parts of the nexus between climate change, migration and health to not only get a better understanding of the connections between the parts of the nexus but also to support people on the move, people with high health risks as well as people finding themselves in trapped situations. Accordingly, we work on the following research themes:

    1) Impacts of meteorological and air conditions on pneumonia and influenza hospitalizations, considering the influence of various personal characteristics (age, sex, pre-existing diseases, etc.) in Germany
    2) Impacts of climatic and environmental factors on internal migration in Europe and internal and international migration in Germany
    3) The integration of human (im)mobility in the context of climate change into relevant national policies such as NAPs and NDCs, as well as the specific consideration of the climate change, human (im)mobility, and health nexus
    4) A climate resilience and well-being comparison of people in the Global South with and without a migration background (e.g., Ethiopia, India)
    5) Assessing the well-being and integration of Ukrainian refugees in Germany and internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine due to the Russian war in Ukraine

    Related publications:
    - Link, A. C., Zhu, Y., & Karutz, R. (2021). Quantification of Resilience Considering Different Migration Biographies: A Case Study of Pune, India. Land, 10(11), 1134.
    - Brenner, T., Link, A-C., Reidenbach, C., Pott, H., Rupp, J., Witzenrath, M., Rohde, G., Pletz, M., Bertrams, W., Schmeck, B. & CAPNETZ study group (2022): Effects of Regional Meteorological and Air Conditions on Community-Acquired Pneumonia - Examining the Interaction of Individual, Meteorological, and Air Characteristics, Vol. 01.22.
    - Mombauer, D., Link, A. C., & Van Der Geest, K. Addressing climate-related human mobility through NDCs and NAPs: State of play, best practices, and the way forward. Frontiers in Climate, 5, 21.

  • Determinants of national growth (especially in developing countries)

    Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Masoumeh Ghorbani

    National economic growth still is one of the main aims of governments. The literature provides various theories and empirical studies. The research agenda contains three research aims for the next years: 1) A new growth model is developed that provides two advances to the existing theories: It takes account of the different situation in different countries and their interaction and of the different kinds of innovation and imitation processes (model is in development). This will allow to study the differences between developed and developing countries and to identify the specific factors to trigger growth in the latter. 2) New statistical methods are applied to the analysis of national growth to identify differences in the relevance of factors for different kinds of countries. In addition, the influence of climate change on growth is studied. 3) More specific studies of a number of countries are conducted and planned, especially on Iran, India and China, looking at the growth factors, innovation activities and regional distribution.

    Related publications:
    - Ghorbani, M.; Brenner, T. (2020): neues Working Paper
    - Lee, D.; Brenner, T. (2015): Perceived temperature in the course of climate change: An analysis of global heat index from 1979 to 2013, Earth System Science Data 7, 193-202.
    - Brenner, T.; Lee, D. (2014): Weather Conditions and Economic Growth - Is Productivity Hampered by Climate Change?, Working Papers on Innovation and Space, Vol. 06.14.
    - Brenner, T. (2014): Science, Innovation and National Growth, Working Papers on Innovation and Space, Vol. 03.14.
    - Bhaduri, S.; Brenner, T. (2013): Examining the determinants of drug launch delay in pre-TRIPS India, The European Journal of Health Economics 14, 761-773.

  • Regional economic dynamics, universities and clusters

    Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Tobias König

    Clustering is a major topic in the research agenda of the working group since more than 10 years. The identification of clusters and policy options to support clusters have been studied extensively. Recent research has focused on the interaction of various economic variable on the regional level and especially on the impact of universities on the regional economy. Actual research projects focus on the lack of qualified labour in clusters and in-depth cluster case studies.

    Related publications:
    - Brenner, T.; Capasso, M.; Duschl, M.; Frenken, K.; Treibich, T. (2018): Causal relations between knowledge-intensive business services and regional employment growth, Regional Studies, 52(2), 172-183.
    - Brenner, T.; Pflitsch, G. (2017): The raise of publications on sustainablity – a case study in Germany, Review of Regional Research 37, 189-225.
    - Koenig, J.; Brenner, T.; Buenstorf, G. (2017): Regional effects of university funding: Excellence at the cost of regional disparity?, Review of Regional Research 37, 111-133.
    - Blume, L.; Brenner, T.; Buenstorf, G. (2017): Universities and sustainable regional development: introduction to the special issue, Review of Regional Research 37, 103-109.
    - von Proff, S.; Duschl, M.; Brenner, T. (2017): Motives behind the mobility of university graduates – A study of three German universities, Review of Regional Research 37, 39-58.
    - Scholl, T.; Brenner, T. (2016): Detecting spatial clustering using a firm-level cluster index, Regional Studies 50, 1054-1068.
    - Brenner, T.; Kauermann, G. (2016): Specialisation and convergence of industry-specific employment in Germany – A linear mixed model approach with spatial components, Regional Studies 50, 326-341.
    - Brenner, T.; Duschl, M. (2015): Causal dynamic effects in regional systems of technological activities: a SVAR approach, The Annals of Regional Science 55, 103-130.
    - Duschl, M.; Scholl, T.; Brenner, T.; Luxen, D.; Raschke, F. (2015): Industry-specific firm growth and agglomeration, Regional Studies 49, 1822-1839.
    - Duschl, M.; Schimke, A.; Brenner, T.; Luxen, D. (2014): Firm growth and the spatial impact of geolocated external factors - empirical evidence for German manufacturing firms, Journal of Economics and
    Statistics 234, 234-256.
    - Brenner, T.; Mühlig, A. (2013): Factors and mechanisms causing the emergence of local industrial clusters – a summary of 159 cases, Regional Studies 47, 480-507.

  • Spatial methods

    Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Tobias Ebert, Franziska Pudelko, Sven Wardenburg

    The importance of spatial statistics has tremendously increased in recent years, in geography as well as in many other disciplines. This is further triggered by the increasing availability of fine-grid spatial data. The research group contributes to this in two ways. 1) Modern statistical methods, such as spatial vector auto-regressive models, that allow for the detection of causal relationships and the identification of indirect effects are introduced and applied to various fields of research. In addition, this methods are advanced with respect to the consideration of spatial effects. 2) Fine-grid data based on addresses or at least municipalities is used to analyse economic processes. In this context methods to bring point data to the regional level are developed, distance decay functions are estimated and spatial regressions using such data are advanced and applied.

    Related publications:
    - Brenner, T. (2017): Identification of Clusters- An Actor-based Approach, Working Papers on Innovation and Space, Vol. 02.17.
    - Scholl, T.; Brenner, T. (2015): Optimizing distance-based methods for large data sets, Journal of Geographic Systems 17, 333-351.

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