Patterns of technological accumulation in European Union countries

Abstract

This paper discusses the issue of the patterns of technological accumulation in selected European Union countries. Using the WIPO Technology Concordance Table and the index of relative comparative advantage (Balassa's Revealed Comparative Advantage), it seeks to answer the question about the directions and dynamics of technological change in selected EU countries. The main objectives of the research are the identification of relative technological advantages in individual countries and an assessment of the diversification of comparative technological advantages. The principal findings of the analysis are (1) technological advantages (and competences) are relatively stable over time, and (2) technology leaders rarely change.