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PublikationWorking paper

Working paper No. 301: Convergence of Incentive Capabilities within the European Union

Sammanfattning

The development of a single economic market and rapid technological advances in the European Union (EU) have resulted in its Member States undergoing major structural changes over the past few decades. The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether or not there is convergence in the inventive capabilities across the EU. This is done by econometrically investigating, by means of parametric and non-parametric techniques, the development of patents granted per capita in 13 Member States per capita during the period 1990–2011. The findings of several β-convergence and σ-convergence tests show convergence in inventive capabilities. Moreover, a similar result is obtained when analysing the distributional dynamics of the invention capabilities. The speed of convergence is however slow. This suggests that policy efforts implemented by the EU to reduce technological gaps among its Member States have been relatively insufficient, and may imply negative long-term consequences for EU cohesion.

Grafström, J. (2017). Convergence of Incentive Capabilities within the European Union. Ratio Working Paper No. 301. Stockholm: Ratio.

Detaljer

Författare: Grafström, J.
Publiceringsår: 2017
Publicerat i: Ratio Working Paper

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Filosofie doktor och vice vd
Jonas Grafström
0703475854jonas.grafstrom@ratio.se

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Sammanfattning

Den femte skriften från regeringens utredning Framtid med barn. Studien analyserar hur ekonomisk politik påverkar födelsetal och konstaterar att strukturella reformer inom bostad, arbetsmarknad och välfärd är viktigare än enbart ekonomiska transfereringar för att vända Sveriges historiskt låga födelsetal.

Artikel (med peer review)

When circular systems scale

Grafström, J. & Larsson, J.P.

Publiceringsår

2026

Publicerat i

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1–17

Sammanfattning

Circular economy systems are often designed with a focus on material flows and technological substitution, but their ecological performance is also shaped by geography. As a circular economy expands geographically, it encounters rising institutional diversity, logistical constraints, and behavioral divergence. The paper introduces a framework, based on lessons from the plastics industry, that models how spatial frictions—defined across regulatory, logistical, behavioral, economic, and coordination dimensions—accumulate with scale and undermine system performance. Costs escalate, and reliability deteriorates as circular systems become more spatially dispersed. These dynamics can result in delayed material recovery, inconsistent quality, and increased ecological inefficiency, even when technical feasibility exists.

Artikel (med peer review)

A transition probability analysis of material flows in the European aggregates industry

Grafström, J., & Rydén, S.

Publiceringsår

2026

Publicerat i

Construction Management and Economics, 1–14

Sammanfattning

Recycled aggregates materials are often relegated to downcycled applications such as backfilling. Different barriers limit their reintegration into higher-value construction use. This paper develops a probabilistic model of material flows using a Markov chain framework to simulate transitions between four states: Input, Use/Waste, Recycling, and Disposal. The model draws on Eurostat data covering non-metallic minerals in 27 EU Member States (2014–2023) and incorporates barrier-adjusted transition probabilities reflecting economic, technological, institutional, and social constraints. Scenario simulations reveal that improvements in recycling probabilities can yield nonlinear gains in material retention. However, once structural barriers are introduced, system performance declines sharply—even under favourable technical assumptions. The results suggest that modest policy interventions may have outsized effects if targeted toward key transition points.