-
Department seminar
Luogo Evento
Aula 16 Caniana
Relatore/i
Martí Mestieri (Institut d’Anàlisi Econòmica, IAE-CSIC)
Contatti di riferimento
Francesco Principe, francesco.principe@unibg.it
Strutture interne organizzatrici
Department of Economics
Economics Seminar Series 2026/2027
Speaker: Martí Mestieri
Title: Seeds of Diffusion: Technology Transfers and the Spread of Foreign Ideas (joint with Gustavo de Souza and Ruben Gaetani)
Abstract:
Long-run economic growth depends on the international diffusion of frontier technologies. Using Brazilian data, we identify a channel through which tariff cuts slow this diffusion: they weaken foreign firms’ incentives to transfer technology to domestic producers. Exploiting variation in import tariffs across origin countries within narrowly defined industries, we find that tariff reductions lead to fewer technology transfers and fewer citations to foreign technology, with the largest declines occurring among firms located near previous technology recipients. To interpret these findings, we develop a growth model in which foreign firms choose between exporting goods and transferring technology, with learning from exports being less efficient than learning from transferred technologies, as informed by the empirical evidence. Trade liberalization reallocates learning toward exporting, raising welfare in the short run but slowing diffusion and productivity growth. An optimal subsidy to technology transfers substantially amplifies the welfare gains from trade liberalization.
Full paper: link