Knowledge Structure and Regional Economic Growth: The French case

The paper investigate the effects of knowledge on economic growth at the regional level Methodology approach: We elaborate a view on knowledge as the result of a combinatorial search activity and implement indicators synthesizing the network architecture of knowledge structure Findings: Empirical estimations corroborate the hypothesis that knowledge coherence and variety, besides the traditional measure of knowledge stock, matter in shaping regional economicperformances. Social implications: Important policy implications stem from the analysis, in that regional innovation strategies, in order to trigger economicperformances, should be carefully coordinated so as to foster exploration strategies, but taking into full account the technological competences accumulated in the course of time. Originality/value of the paper: The originality of the paper lies mainly in the methodological approach, which provides operational translation to the view of knowledge as an outcome of a combinatorial search. In this perspective, the paper also shed light on previously unexplored aspects of the relationships between knowledge and growth.