32 Questions
What data source was used to measure research and development intensity by industry?
National Science Foundation 2017
What does the table in the text provide measures for?
Venture capital investment in metropolitan statistical areas
What is the implied purpose of using consolidated metropolitan statistical areas in the table and figures?
To compare the tech activity across cities
What does the approach using industry- and occupation-level employment data aim to avoid?
Liabilities noted for patenting and venture data
What percentage of the world’s population does Silicon Valley house?
0.1 percent
How many US cities entered Amazon’s bidding process for establishing a second headquarters?
238
What are some of the examples of US locations branded as “Silicon Something”?
Silicon Peach, Silicon Spuds, Silicon Prairie
What metrics are used to illustrate the definition of a tech cluster in the paper?
Patents, venture capital funding, employment in research and development or digital-connected occupations
What is a key characteristic of tech clusters?
High-velocity labor markets
What contributes to the growth of leading US tech centers?
Universities and high-skilled immigration
What suggests a challenge to Silicon Valley's dominance?
The rapid growth of Toronto as an artificial intelligence cluster
What has been the outcome of top-down attempts to recreate Silicon Valley?
Mostly failed
What makes developing a formal definition of tech clusters challenging?
Their complexity and evolving nature
What is the impact of tech clusters on the economy?
Affecting multiple parts of the economy
What does US economic history indicate about tech clusters?
They are not a new phenomenon nor a permanent fixture
What does the example of Detroit transitioning from a tech cluster to a matured auto industry illustrate?
Tech clusters may cease to be
What poses challenges in defining tech clusters?
The blurring of industry boundaries and the ubiquitous nature of technology
What is a common feature of emerging tech clusters?
Following the advent of new general-purpose technologies
What is a strategy for local officials in relation to tech clusters?
Facilitate the scaling of nascent industries
What is a characteristic of the best designs in tech clusters?
Combining modular product structures with high-velocity labor markets
What are some common measures used in empirical study of tech clusters?
Patents, high-growth entrepreneurship, and employment in research and development intensive industries or occupations
What is a central liability of focusing on patents and venture capital data?
Many forms of innovative activity are not captured
Which type of economic linkage should researchers consider when making choices in empirical analyses?
Knowledge spillovers or labor mobility
What is used to measure research and development intensity by industry?
Industry and occupation-level employment data from the American Community Survey
What is difficult to acquire according to the text?
Location-specific data on research and development
What is used to measure spatial concentration and learn how clusters operate?
Patents and venture capital data
What does Table 1 document measures for cities using data from around 2015–2018?
Ranking the top 15 metropolitan statistical areas by venture capital investment in R&D-intensive fields
What does the table imply about the density of tech efforts across cities?
It implies the density of tech efforts through a comparison to the population share
What should researchers carefully consider when using patents and venture capital data?
Comparability across industries and longitudinally
What are the geographic units for empirical analyses of the US economy?
Full distribution of states or cities or case studies of recognized tech clusters like Silicon Valley
What is being studied to analyze frontier activity by sector?
Talent clusters in human capital-focused industries
What are choices in empirical analyses based on?
The type of economic linkage under study
Study Notes
Measuring US Tech Clusters and Economic Linkages
- "Talent clusters" in human capital-focused industries are being studied to analyze frontier activity by sector.
- Empirical study of tech clusters involves choices about what to measure and the appropriate scale of activity.
- Most analyses use patents, high-growth entrepreneurship, and employment in research and development intensive industries or occupations.
- Geographic units for empirical analyses of the US economy include full distribution of states or cities or case studies of recognized tech clusters like Silicon Valley.
- Patents and venture capital data are popular for measuring spatial concentration and learning how clusters operate.
- Central liability of focusing on patents and venture capital data is that many forms of innovative activity are not captured.
- Location-specific data on research and development are difficult to acquire.
- Industry and occupation-level employment data from the American Community Survey is used to measure research and development intensity by industry.
- Table 1 documents measures for cities using data from around 2015–2018, ranking the top 15 metropolitan statistical areas by venture capital investment in R&D-intensive fields.
- The table speaks to the scale of tech activity across cities and implies the density of tech efforts through a comparison to the population share.
- Choices in empirical analyses should follow the type of economic linkage under study, such as focusing on knowledge spillovers or labor mobility.
- Researchers must carefully consider comparability across industries and longitudinally when using patents and venture capital data.
Test your knowledge of measuring US tech clusters and economic linkages with this quiz. Explore the use of patents, venture capital, and employment data to analyze the spatial concentration and operation of tech clusters. Delve into the challenges and choices involved in empirical studies and gain insights into measuring research and development intensity by industry.
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