On 14 September, Tamás Sebestyén, PhD (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics University of Pécs, Hungary) and Attila Varga, PhD (Professor of Economics, Department of Economics and Regional Studies, University of Pécs, Hungary) will talk about “Knowledge networks in regional development: An agent-based model and its application in policy simulations”.
Abstract
An agent-based model (ABM) is presented as a tool for the evaluation of regional development policies through fostering link formation. The model utilizes the agent-based approach to capture complex dynamics in the network formation process at the regional and interregional levels. The agent-based approach is useful in this context as it is able to account for heterogeneity and nonlinear dynamics, which seems to be an inherent part of both innovation processes and network formation associated with innovation. Regions are considered as the unit of analysis. We model the search process of regional research actors for possible profitable partnerships on the basis of a gravitational approach: agents are looking for cooperation according to the attractiveness of others. We present a possible way of fitting the model to empirical data and employ a dynamic approach where the model is calibrated to fit longitudinal data, which makes it more sensitive in modeling policy impact over longer periods of time. The model will be used for simulations of regional policies supporting interregional research collaboration network formation. The ABM will be integrated into the GMR (Geographic Macro and Regional)-Europe model in estimations of the likely impacts of network policies on regional, national and EU-level employment and GDP growth.
Venue: AIT Center for Innovation Systems & Policy, Tech Gate Tower, 7th Floor, AR I, Donau-City-Strasse 1, 1220 Vienna
Date: 14 September 2017, 14-15:30
Contact Person: Manfred Paier, Center for Innovation Systems & Policy