Temperate climate - Innovative outputs nexus


Mario Coccia

#2014-088

Technological change is a vital human activity that interacts with geographic factors and environment. The purpose of the study here is to analyse the relationship between geo-climate zones of the globe and technological outputs in order to detect favourable areas that spur higher technological change and, as a consequence, human development. The main finding is that innovative outputs are higher in geographical areas with a temperate climate (latitudes). In fact, warm temperate climates are favourable environments for human societies that, by a long-run process of adaptation and learning, create platforms of institutions and communications systems, infrastructures, legal systems, economic governance and socio-economic networks that support inventions and diffusion of innovations. The linkages between observed facts show the vital geo-climate sources of fruitful patterns of the technological innovation and economic growth.

Keywords: Innovation, Temperate Zone, Climate, Technology, Technological Change, Patent, Economic Growth, Society.

JEL classification: O10, O30, R1, R11, R12

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UNU-MERIT