Moving from Periphery to Core in Scientific Networks: Evidence from European Inter-Regional Collaborations, 1999-2007

This paper provides an original framework for investigating scientific collaboration networks at European regional level. Is European scientific area an integrated system? Are the European regions organized around a core? Which are the determinants explaining the transition of region from periphery towards a core position? To answer these questions, the evolution of eight different scientific discipline networks from 1999 to 2007 is taken into account. For each of these networks, we perform a core-periphery and, given the transition matrices, we identify those regions which are able to move over time from a peripheral position to a more central one. A final exercise investigates the determinants of this transition. We conclude that fostering specialization in some discipline is the main explanation of why a regions is able to reach a more central position; moreover, once specialized in a domain, this could allow the region to benefit of a virtuous circle: increasing the overall number of publication and making a greater effort in science-based activities allow the region to become a core member also in other scientific domains