Module Objectives

The aim of the course is to provide the students with the fundamental tools, i.e. concepts, methods and techniques, to empirically investigate regional and spatial phenomena.

In order to achieve this aim, a wide range of statistical and econometric techniques are presented in order to describe, analyze and model spatial data, placing special emphasis on the field of spatial econometrics. To achieve a more thorough knowledge of these techniques, particular attention will be given to real-world applications and data.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

– Deeply understand the importance of the methods addressed for the examination of socio-economic phenomena that have spatial dimension.
– Identify the core concepts and methods of Regional Analysis and Spatial Econometrics.
– Employ the appropriate methods and techniques in spatial research problems, interpreting the results and being aware of the limitations.

Course Content

The course contains the following topics: Introduction to Methods of Regional Analysis – Indicators of Regional Specialization/Concentration – Shift-Share and Spatial Shift-Share Analysis – Regional Multipliers – Composite Indicators – Introduction to Econometrics (e.g. Specification of a Linear Model, Cross-Section and Panel Data Analysis, Specification Tests, Variable Selection) – Introduction to Spatial Econometrics (Methods, weight matrices, Specification Tests) – Advanced Topics in Spatial Econometrics (Panel techniques, Regime analysis).

Teaching and Assessment

The teaching methods will consist of lectures that include theory and practical exercises in the computer lab. The assessment of the module will be based on an oral exam (40%), a written exam (30%) at the end of the semester, as well as two short assignments (30%).