Economic complexity and the dynamics of regional competitiveness a systematic review
ISSN: 1059-5422
Article publication date: 27 January 2022
Issue publication date: 1 June 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to systematically review the economic complexity literature to advance the knowledge on its contribution to building regional competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, we did a systematic review of 111 relevant papers. In this regard, we did a thematic analysis on all the collected papers, which led to a two-level processed approach. In the first level, the contributions of the reviewed articles have been classified into three main streams. In the second level, the findings under each contribution category are analyzed and explained. This approach led to a thematic network demonstrating economic complexity and the dynamics of regional competitiveness and a set of managerial and policy implications. We followed a multiple processed approach for the systematic review of 95 papers that reveals considerable contributions in three categories, including measurement techniques, criticisms and exploratory studies.
Findings
Despite some critiques and the undertaken evolution in measurement techniques of complexity, economic complexity has become a well-known method mainly for regions' competitiveness dynamics. Our review demonstrates a nested network of economic complexity dynamics that drives policy advice concerning countries' status in their development path. The provided set of policies includes guidelines for underdeveloped and developing countries and general policy implications, applicable for all regional contexts for building competitiveness dynamics.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the literature on competitiveness from the window of economic complexity. The study allows a deep understanding of regions' productive structure role in their development and competitiveness. A set of policies for building regional competitiveness is provided concerning the study's findings. The literature gaps are identified, and future research ideas are provided for using economic complexity methodologically and logically to boost regional competitiveness.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The first author would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Iran's National Research Institute for Science Policy to advance this study.
Citation
Bahrami, F., Shahmoradi, B., Noori, J., Turkina, E. and Bahrami, H. (2023), "Economic complexity and the dynamics of regional competitiveness a systematic review", Competitiveness Review, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 711-744. https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-06-2021-0083
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited