| In the section | Surveys |
| Title of the article | Spatial Diffusion of Digital Innovations: Trends, Problems and Prospects of Empirical Research |
| Pages | 118-142 |
| Author |
Viktor Ivanovich Blanutsa Doctor of Sciences (Geography), Leading Researcher V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS 1 Ulan-Batarskaya St., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ORCID: 0000-0003-3958-216X |
| Abstract | The aim of the study was to generalize the world experience of studying the spatial diffusion of digital innovations in order to determine trends in changing priorities, existing problems and possible prospects for empirical research. With the help of the author’s semantic search algorithm, approximately eighty journal articles published in the last twenty years were found in eight bibliographic databases. The use of a moving average and biproportional indices for quantitative analysis of the array of articles revealed four upward trends: an increase in the average annual number of publications on the subject under consideration, increased attention to the deployment of broadband communications, the impact of spatial diffusion on economic growth and the use of regions as territorial units for studying diffusion processes. An informal analysis of the articles led to the identification of five key problems of modern research: a significant discrepancy between the year of publication and the last year of the process under study, analysis of a limited number of digital innovations, lack of a comprehensive understanding of the joint spatial diffusion of several innovations, the dominance of the idea of the homogeneity for the initial territorial units and the unexplored system of factors contributing to or hindering the spread of digital innovations. Comparing the existing experience of studying the spatial diffusion of digital innovations with similar studies of other types of innovations allowed identifying five promising areas for further research: the use of big data; expanding the set of models used with the subsequent creation of a system of methods; the study of hierarchical, network and other methods of spatial diffusion; the definition of spatial innovation waves with an explanation of the reasons for the formation of territorial barriers and filters; creation of a theory of the spatiotemporal spread of digital innovations based on the generalization of empirical research. The necessity of determining the scope of application of the results obtained in diffusion studies outside of regional economic policy is noted |
| Code | 332.1+911.3 |
| JEL | C10, C83, O33 |
| DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.14530/se.2021.4.118-142 |
| Keywords | digital innovation ♦ spatial diffusion ♦ innovation wave ♦ moving average ♦ biproportional index |
| Download | SE.2021.4.118-142.Blanutsa.pdf |
| For citation | Blanutsa V.I. Spatial Diffusion of Digital Innovations: Trends, Problems and Prospects of Empirical Research. Prostranstvennaya Ekonomika = Spatial Economics, 2021, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 118–142. https://dx.doi.org/10.14530/se.2021.4.118-142 (In Russian) |
| References | 1. Alderete M.V. Broadband Adoption in Latin American Countries: Does Geographical Proximity Matter? Revista Problemas Del Desarrollo, 2019, vol. 50, no. 198, pp. 31–56. 2. Anselin D. Local Indicators of Spatial Association – LISA. Geographical Analysis, 1995, vol. 27, issue 2, pp. 93–115. 3. Arvin B.M., Pradhan R.P. Broadband Penetration and Economic Growth Nexus: Evidence from Cross-Country Panel Data. Applied Economics, 2014, vol. 46, issue 35, pp. 4360–4369. 4. Bass F.M. A New Product Growth for Model Consumer Durables. Management Science, 1969, vol. 15, issue 5, pp. 215–322. 5. Benseny J., Toyli J., Hammainen H., Arcia-Moret A. The Mitigating Role of Regulation on the Concentric Patterns of Broadband Diffusion. The Case of Finland. Telematics and Informatics, 2019, vol. 41, pp. 139–155. 6. Bill?n M., Ezcurra R., Lera-L?pez F. The Spatial Distribution of the Internet in the European Union: Does Geographical Proximity Matter? European Planning Studies, 2008, vol. 16, issue 1, pp. 119–142. 7. Blanutsa V.I. Diffusion of Postal Innovations in Pre-Soviet Siberia. Geografiya i Prirodnye Resursy = Geography and Natural Resources, 2012, no. 4, pp. 30–39. (In Russian). 8. Blanutsa V.I. Spatial Diffusion of Innovations: A Sphere of Uncertainty and Network Model. Regionalnye Issledovaniya [Regional Researches], 2015, no. 3, pp. 4–12. (In Russian). 9. Blanutsa V.I. Socio-Economic Zoning in the Era of Big Data. Moscow, 2018, 194 p. (In Russian). 10. Blanutsa V.I. State Policy of Artificial Intelligence Development in Russia: An Analysis of Strategic Goals. Vestnik Zabaykalskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta [Bulletin of the Trans-Baikal State University], 2020, vol. 26, no. 8, pp. 100–111. (In Russian). 11. Blaut J.M. Diffusionism: An Uniformitarian Critique. Annals of Association of American Geographers, 1987, vol. 77, issue 1, pp. 30–47. 12. Briglauer W. The Impact of Regulation and Competition on the Adoption of Fiber-Based Broadband Services: Recent Evidence from the European Union Member States. Journal of Regulatory Economics, 2014, vol. 46, pp. 51–79. 13. Briglauer W., Durr N.S., Falck O., Huschelrath K. Does State Aid for Broadband Deployment in Rural Areas Close the Digital and Economic Divide? Information Economics and Policy, 2019, vol. 46, pp. 68–85. 14. Buarque B.S., Davis R.B., Hynes R.M., Kogler D.F. OK Computer: The Creation and Integration of AI in Europe. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 2020, vol. 13, issue 1, pp. 175–192. 15. Comer J.C., Wikle T.A. Worldwide Diffusion of the Cellular Telephone, 1995–2005. The Professional Geographer, 2008, vol. 60, issue 2, pp. 252–269. 16. Czernich N., Falk O., Kretschmer T., Woessmann L. Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth. The Economic Journal, 2011, vol. 121, issue 552, pp. 505–532. 17. Dang L., Chen Z., Lee J., Tsou M.-H., Ye X. Simulating the Spatial Diffusion of Memes on Social Media Networks. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2019, vol. 33, issue 8, pp. 1545–1568. 18. DeStefano T., Kneller R., Timmis J. Broadband Infrastructure, ICT Use and Firm Performance: Evidence for UK firms // Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 2018. Vol. 155. Pp. 110–139. 19. Dhakal T., Lim D.-E. Understanding ICT Adoption in SAARC Member Countries. Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, 2020, vol. 13, pp. 67–80. 20. Didelon C. Diffusion of the Use of Internet. GeoJournal, 2007, vol. 68, pp. 71–81. 21. Ding L., Haynes K.E., Li H. Modeling the Spatial Diffusion of Mobile Telecommunications in China. The Professional Geographer, 2010, vol. 62, issue 2, pp. 248–263. 22. Galliano D., Roux P. Organizational Motives and Spatial Effects in Internet Adoption and Intensity of Use: Evidence from French Industrial Firms. The Annals of Regional Science, 2008, vol. 42, pp. 425–448. 23. Ghosh S. Does Mobile Telephony Spur Growth? Evidence from Indian States. Telecommunications Policy, 2016, vol. 40, issue 10–11, pp. 1020–1031. 24. Gomez-Barroso J.L., Marban-Flores R. Telecommunications and Economic Development – The 21st Century: Making the Evidence Stronger. Telecommunications Policy, 2020, vol. 44, issue 2. 101905. 25. Grajek M., Kretschmer T. Usage and Diffusion of Cellular Telephony, 1998–2004. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 2009, vol. 27, issue 2, pp. 238–249. 26. Grubesic T.H. The Spatial Distribution of Broadband Providers in the United States: 1999–2004. Telecommunications Policy, 2008, vol. 32, issue 3–4, pp. 212–233. 27. Haefner L., Sternberg R. Spatial Implications of Digitization: State of the Field and Research Agenda. Geography Compass, 2020, vol. 14, issue 12. e12544. 28. Hagerstrand T. Innovation Diffusion as a Spatial Process. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1967, 334 p. 29. Haggett P. Instability of the Growth of Urban Systems. Bi-Proportional Index. Modern Problems of Geography: Reports of General Symposia of the XXIII International Geographical Congress. Moscow, 1976, pp. 366–376. (In Russian). 30. Harb G. The Economic Impact of the Internet Penetration Rate and Telecom Investments in Arab and Middle Eastern Countries. Economic Analysis and Policy, 2017, vol. 56, pp. 148–163. 31. Hyllova L., Slach O. The Smart City is Landing! On the Geography of Policy Mobility. Geo Scape, 2018, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 124–133. 32. Kauffman R.J., Techatassaanasoontorn A.A. International Diffusion of Digital Mobile Technology: A Coupled-Hazard State-Based Approach. Information Technology and Management, 2005, vol. 6, pp. 253–292. 33. Kim H.-K., Yi M.-S., Shin D.-B. Regional Diffusion of Smart City Services in South Korea Investigated by Spatial Autocorrelation: Focused on Safety and urban Management. Spatial Information Research, 2017, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 837–848. 34. Latif Z., Xin W., Khan D., Iqbal K., Pathan Z.H., Salam S., Jan N. ICT and Sustainable Development in South Asian Countries. Human Systems Management, 2017, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 353–362. 35. Lehtonen O. Population Grid-Based Assessment of the Impact of Broadband Expansion on Population Development in Rural Areas. Telecommunications Policy, 2020, vol. 44, issue 10. 102028. 36. Lengyel B., Bokanyi E., di Clemente R., Kertesz J., Gonzalez M.C. The Role of Geography in the Complex Diffusion of Innovation. Scientific Reports. 2020. Vol. 10. 15065. 37. Liikanen J., Stoneman P., Toivanen O. Intergenerational Effects in the Diffusion of New Technology: The Case of Mobile Phones. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 2004, vol. 22, issue 8–9, pp. 1137–1154. 38. Lin M., Kwan Y.K. FDI Technology Spillovers, Geography, and Spatial Diffusion. International Review of Economics and Finance, 2016, vol. 43, pp. 257–274. 39. Lutz S.U. The European Digital Single Market Strategy: Local Indicators of Spatial Association 2011–2016. Telecommunications Policy, 2019, vol. 43, issue 5, pp. 393–410. 40. Meade N., Islam T. Modelling and Forecasting the Diffusion of Innovation – A 25-Year Review. International Journal of Forecasting, 2006, vol. 22, issue 3, pp. 519–545. 41. Morrill R.L. Waves of Spatial Diffusion. Journal of Regional Science, 1968, vol. 8, issue 1, pp. 1–18. 42. Na H.S., Hwang J., Kim H. Digital Content as a Fast Internet Diffusion Factor: Focusing on the Fixed Broadband Internet. Information Development, 2020, vol. 36, issue 1, pp. 97–111. 43. Nunes F. Geographical Gaps in the Portuguese Broadband Access. Rethinking the Role of Public Funding After Years of Trade Liberalization. Telecommunications Policy, 2006, vol. 30, issue 8–9, pp. 496–515. 44. Papagiannidis S., Gebka B., Gertner D., Stahl F. Diffusion of Web Technologies and Practices: A Longitudinal Study. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2015, vol. 96, pp. 308–321. 45. Parajuli J., Haynes K.E. Cellular Mobile Telephony in Nepal. Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, 2018, vol. 11, pp. 209–222. 46. Peres R., Muller E., Mahajan V. Innovation Diffusion and New Product Growth Models: A Critical Review and Research Directions. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 2010, vol. 27, issue 2, pp. 91–106. 47. Pradhan R.P., Arvin M.B., Norman N.R. The Dynamics of Information and Communications Technologies Infrastructure, Economic Growth, and Financial Development: Evidence from Asian Countries. Technology in Society, 2015, vol. 42, pp. 135–149. 48. Pred A.D. Diffusion, Organizational Spatial Structure, and City-System Development. Economic Geography, 1975, vol. 51, no. 3. Pp. 252–268. 49. Rogers E.M. Diffusion of Innovation. New York: The Free Press, 2003, 576 p. 50. Rouvinen P. Diffusion of Digital Mobile Telephony: Are Developing Countries Different? Telecommunications Policy, 2006, vol. 30, issue 1, pp. 46–63. 51. Saba C., David O.O. Convergence Patterns in Global ICT: Fresh Insights from a Club Clustering Algorithm. Telecommunications Policy, 2020, vol. 44, issue 10. 102010. 52. Schmidt Yu.N., Lobodina О.N. Some Approaches to Modeling the Spatial Diffusion of Innovations. Prostranstvennaya Ekonomika = Spatial Economics, 2015, no. 2, pp. 103–115. (In Russian). 53. Schwab K. The Fourth Industrial Revolution. New York: Crown Business, 2017, 192 p. 54. Song Z., Liu W., Ma L., Dunford M. Measuring Spatial Differences of Informatization in China. Chinese Geographical Science, 2014, vol. 24, pp. 717–731. 55. Song Z., Song T., Yang Y., Wang Z. Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Determinants of Digital Divide in China: A Multivariate Spatial Analysis. Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 17. 4529. 56. Sriwannawit P., Sandstrom U. Large-Scale Bibliometric Review of Diffusion Research. Scientometrics, 2015, vol. 102, pp. 1615–1645. 57. Tiner T. Spatial Diffusion of Mobile Telephony in Hungary. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin, 2010, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 35–50. 58. Tranos E. The Causal Effect of the Internet Infrastructure on the Economic Development of European City Regions. Spatial Economic Analysis, 2012, vol. 7, issue 3, pp. 319–337. 59. Velickovic S., Radojicic V., Bakmaz B. The Effect of Service Rollout on Demand Forecasting: The Application of Modified Bass Model to the Step Growing Markets. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2016, vol. 107, pp. 130–140. 60. Zemtsov S.P., Baburin V.L. Modeling of Diffusion of Innovation and Typology of Russian Regions: A Case Study of Cellular Communication. Izvestiya RAN. Seriya Geograficheskaya = Regional Research of Russia, 2017, no. 4, pp. 17–30. (In Russian). 61. Zhang S., Li F., Xiao J.J. Internet Penetration and Consumption Inequality in China. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 2020, vol. 44, issue 5, pp. 407–422. 62. Zhang X., Meng Y., Chen H., Yu J., Sun Y., Ordonez de Pablos P., He J.W. A Bibliometric Analysis of Digital Innovation from 1998 to 2016. Journal of Management Science and Engineering, 2017, vol. 2, issue 2, pp. 95–115. |
| Financing | The research was carried out at the expense of the state assignment (topic registration number АААА-А17-117041910166-3) |
| Submitted | 13.10.2021 |
| Approved after reviewing | 15.10.2021 |
| Accepted for publication | 08.11.2021 |
| Available online | 24.12.2021 |