European enlargement policy, technological capabilities and sectoral export dynamics

This paper examines how the last wave of the European Union enlargement process has influenced the export competitiveness of EU countries. A technology-augmented gravity model is applied to distinguished manufacturing sectors to test the effect of the economic integration as well as the role of technological capabilities on export dynamics in old and new EU countries. The main findings reveal that the enlargement process has produced an overall larger positive impact on export flows for new members and that this positive effect appears not to be confined to low-tech sectors. In addition, the study shows that the level of technological capabilities is a crucial driving factor for export dynamics, both for old and new EU countries, and that the interrelations between the EU enlargement process and the level of technological capabilities are relevant.