Technological, institutional, and geographical peripheries: regional development and risk of poverty in the European regions

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the interrelation between technological, institutional, and geographical peripheries. By distinguishing between the quality and quantity of access to information and communication technologies, together with institutional and geographical factors, and using a sample of 229 European regions during the period 2007–2018, we find that the diffusion and quality of information and communication technologies foster economic development and decrease the risk of social exclusion. A similar effect is found for institutional and geographical factors, suggesting that the interplay of these three determinants may be crucial to set up place-based policies.