My Precious! The Location and Diffusion of Scientific Research: Evidence from the Synchrotron Diamond Light Source

Christian Helmers,Henry G Overman

doi:10.1111/ecoj.12387

Abstract

We analyse the impact of the establishment of the Diamond Light Source synchrotron, a large basic scientific research facility in the UK, on the geographic distribution of related research. To account for the potentially endogenous location choice of the synchrotron, we rely on the availability of a ‘runner‐up’ site. We use data on academic publications to trace the geographic distribution of related scientific inputs and outputs. Our results suggest that proximity to Diamond had a positive impact on the output of related research. This proximity effect appears to be driven by an increase in inputs rather than the productivity of scientists.

Highlights

We investigate the impact of the establishment of a GBP 380 million scientific research facility in the UK on the geographical distribution of the knowledge created by the facility
The fundamental research question that we address in this way is whether the establishment of basic scientific research infrastructure, that is inherently indivisible, leads to a geographical clustering of related research in proximity to the infrastructure or whether the benefits of such scientific facilities spread across the country independently of its location
Does the location of basic scientific research infrastructure affect its use and impact? This fundamental question is difficult to answer because the locations of scientific facilities are chosen in order to maximize their impact, posing a formidable challenge to empirical work that attempts to assess the causal relationship between location choice and impact

Summary

Introduction

We investigate the impact of the establishment of a GBP 380 million scientific research facility in the UK on the geographical distribution of the knowledge created by the facility. The Diamond Light Source, a so-called 3rd generation synchrotron light source, represents the single largest investment in research infrastructure in the modern history of the UK. While our analysis provides evidence on the impact of the establishment of Diamond on research and innovation, we are primarily interested in the geographical aspects of knowledge creation and diffusion. We investigate whether the location choice of the Diamond Light Source has impacted on the geographical distribution of research in relevant scientific fields. The analysis, sheds light on the formation of research clusters and the implications for the geographical distribution of innovation

Results

Discussion

Conclusion