Optimizing international technology diffusion: A middle-income country's perspective

The paper develops a North–Middle–South model to formulate a middle economy that plays catch-up via imitative R&D to acquire newer technologies from a higher-wage innovative forerunner, while playing “reverse catch-up” via outbound FDI to transfer older technologies to a lower-wage follower. A critical policy dilemma facing the middle economy is how to balance its R&D-driven technology inflows against its FDI-driven technology outflows. Numerical simulations are used for dynamic welfare analysis. This paper finds that tightening FDI permits the middle economy to keep a lower saving rate without weakening its ability to acquire newer technologies in the long run.     

借助国际合作提升我国制造业信息化软件水平--山东华天软件公司国际合作成果调研报告

作为现代化工业设计不可或缺的平台,三维计算机辅助设计（CAD）和辅助制造（CAM）软件是支撑工业发展的最重要的技术之一。长期以来,中国三维CAD/CAM软件市场主要被欧美软件所垄断。山东华天软件公司通过国际合作成功开发出我国第一款具有自主知识产权的三维CAD/CAM系统SINOVATION,一方面使国内企业的软件使用和维护成本大幅降低,另一方面也使制造业产品的创新能力得到显著提升。对该项国际合作项目进行了详尽介绍,希望该项目在技术和人才方面的合作经验能对国内其他企业有所借鉴。     

Regulator flexibility and the administrative allocation licensing of 3G spectrum

Globally, most nations assign radio spectrum to provide 3G mobile services during the period 1999–2007. While there is consensus among most economists that auctions are the preferred assignment mechanism, the assignment mode is split, more or less, equally (in terms of the number of licences issued) between administrative allocations and auctions. With auction procedures tending to raise more revenue for governments (Cartelier, 2003) the question that naturally arises is: why are administrative allocations so popular a method to assign spectrum? McMillan (1995) conjectures that administrative allocations provide additional ‘flexibility’. Accordingly, this study examines the performance of 3G assignments in terms of an econometric analysis of a unique sample of national 3G spectrum administrative allocations. These outcomes are modelled as depending on spectrum package attributes, and post-award network deployment requirements.     

SPECTRUM LICENSING AND FLEXIBLE BEAUTY CONTEST DESIGNS

McMillan's (1995) ‘flexibility’ proposition suggests a testable hypothesis about beauty contests spectrum assignments. Such flexibility purportedly allows regulators to pursue social welfare (network deployment) goals. A separate argument is that more competitive beauty contests enhance the probability of assignment. The study concludes that regulators do indeed focus on societal (network deployment) welfare goals. Initially, consideration is given in the immediate term where licenses are awarded based on operator aftermarket commitments. Subsequently, spectrum package attributes and financial performance obligations, specified in the tender documents, come into play to support the networks spread more widely through the population in a timely manner. Finally, the econometric results suggest that more competitive beauty contests enhance the probability of assignment.     

TRANSATLANTIC CAPITAL MARKET PRICE DISCOVERY DURING A FINANCIAL CRISIS

Previous results show relatively small amounts of time variation in the Hasbrouck (1995) information share across international markets. Using data from a security that was cross‐listed on the New York and London Stock Exchanges in the 1860s, we find that the information share changes dramatically during a financial crisis that began in the foreign market.     

Reshaping the schooling system: The role of immigration

This paper studies how the schooling system may be impacted by the number and skill type of immigrants. When the number of low-skilled immigrants is large, the education regime tends to become segregated. Wealthy locals are more likely to choose private schools and vote for a lower tax rate to finance public education. In contrast, high-skilled immigrants tend to reinforce the public system. The optimal immigration policy is highly skill-biased. The admission of high-skilled immigrants expedites redistribution toward the less-skilled local households through both a stronger fiscal support for public education and a reduction in the skill wage premium.     

The trade-off between innovation and defense industrial policy: A simulation model analysis of the Norwegian defense industry

The paper investigates the trade-off between innovation and defense industrial policy. It presents an agent-based simulation model calibrated for the Norwegian defense industry that compares different policy scenarios and examines the effects of a pending EU market liberalization process. The paper points to two main results. (1) It finds that a pure scenario where national authorities focus on, and provide support exclusively for, either a) international competitiveness or b) national defense and security objectives, is more Pareto efficient than a corresponding mixed strategy where policy makers simultaneously pursue both international competitiveness and defense and security objectives. (2) Under the conditions of the new EU liberalization regime, it finds that a stronger and more visible trade-off will emerge between international competitiveness and national defense and security objectives. Policy makers will have to choose which to prioritize, and set a clear agenda focusing on one of the two objectives.     

On the transaction values of land use rights in rural China

Land Use Rights (LURs) in China affect farmers’ productivity through investment incentives and the way land is allocated across households. LURs have implication and trade-offs between equity and growth. This paper examines how Chinese farmers might respond if the Chinese government made it legal for farmers to buy or sell LURs. Livelihood choices, labor substitution, market infrastructure, a lack of property right protections, entrepreneurship, bureaucracy, and political will are all influential factors that will determine whether such a program would work. The purpose of this paper is to examine the economics of transaction in LURs, estimate the value at which LURs could transact in equilibrium, and to analyze factors that would affect these price changes. We evaluate farmer’s intention to buy and sell LURs and how much they are willing to pay and receive for LURs.