"High-Speed Railways and the Geography of Inventors’ Collaboration : Evidence from France"
(1980-2010)

Abstract : This study explores the impact of high-speed railways (HSR) on inventor collaboration over long distances, which play as a catalyst of face-to-face interactions and knowledge exchange. We use a novel region-to-region travel time dataset using HSR implementation in France. Employing a gravity model with three-way fixed effects, we assess the causal relationship between travel time reduction and cross-regional co-patenting trends between NUTS3 region-pairs, addressing endogeneity concerns. Results show a robust positive effect of reduced travel time on collaboration. The periphery is found to be excluded from the HSR collaboration benefits, while core regions significantly benefit. However, advantages extend beyond directly-HSR-connected regions. Moreover, reduced travel time is related to collaborative patents exhibiting higher novelty and wider scope within the realm of technology fields. Finally, we find that the reduction in travel time has majoritarly fostered connections among inventor leaders and inventors with superior productivity compared to their collaborators’ pool.