Articles publicats en revistes (Economia)

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Cross-fertilization of knowledge and technologies in collaborative research projects
(Emerald Publishing, 2021-03-22) González-Piñero, Manel; Páez Avilés, Cristina; Juanola, Esteve; Samitier i Martí, Josep
This paper aims to explore how the cross-fertilization of knowledge and technologies in EU-funded research projects, including serious games and gamification, is influenced by the following variables: multidisciplinarity, knowledge base and organizations (number and diversity). The interrelation of actors and projects form a network of innovation. The largest contribution to cross-fertilization comes from the multidisciplinary nature of projects and the previous knowledge and technology of actors. The analysis draws on the understanding of how consortia perform as an innovation network, what their outcomes are and what capabilities are needed to reap value.
Production networks and structural transformation
(Elsevier B.V., 2026-03-01) Barros, Fernando, Jr.; Delalibera, Bruno R.; Ribeiro, Marcos J.; Teignier, Marc
We examine the aggregate effects of greater integration of traditional and modern services into national supply chains. Using international input–output data, we document substantial cross-country variation in the composition of intermediate goods and identify distinct sectoral patterns. That is, modern services are more prevalent in advanced economies and are becoming increasingly central within production networks. To evaluate the implications, we construct a multisector general equilibrium model incorporating firm-level frictions in labor hiring and intermediate input purchases. These distortions weaken intersectoral linkages and distort production efficiency. Reducing them to US levels generates significant gains – aggregate output increases by 27% on average and by 50% in developing economies – while accelerating structural transformation toward services, particularly modern services, and enhancing their network centrality.
Fiscal Rules and the Selection of Politicians: Theory and Evidence from Italy
(American Economic Association, 2025-08-03) Gamalerio, Matteo; Trombetta, Federico
Fiscal rules, or constraints on the policymaking discretion of elected o cials, are widely used to regulate scal policies. Using data on Italian municipalities, we employ a di erence-in-discontinuity design to provide evidence of the negative e ect of scal rules on mayoral candidates education. Municipalities in which scal rules meaningfully restrict the action space of politicians drive the e ect. These results are consistent with a formal model of scal rules and political selection. We highlight that reducing discretion may a ect the composition of the pool of players: it may alleviate pork-barrel spending but also negatively a ect the education of politicians.
Drivers and persistence of energy poverty: An empirical analysis of country and gender heterogeneity in Spain and the Netherlands
(Elsevier B.V., 2026-04-17) Masciandaro, Carlotta; Jové Llopis, Elisenda; Mulder, Machiel
Energy poverty is spreading quickly in Europe, yet little is known about its dynamics over time. Moreover, there is a lack of cross-country studies on energy poverty dynamics and very low agreement in the literature regarding the role that gender differences may play in energy poverty determination. To close these gaps, we analyze the presence and persistence of energy poverty in Spain and the Netherlands and investigate the moderating role of country and gender heterogeneity. We use a dynamic probit model on a sample of about 55,300 households between 2005 and 2023, obtained from the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Our findings highlight that energy poverty is persistent in both countries. While Spanish households are more likely to enter into energy poverty than their Dutch counterparts, the probability of remaining energy poor is comparably high for both countries. We find that gender has a moderating role in the probability of entering energy poverty, which is higher for households led by a woman, yet it does not have any significant role in the persistence of energy poverty. Lastly, we conduct a descriptive analysis of energy poverty policy that suggests little effectiveness and targeting ability of discounts on energy bills as an energy poverty policy instrument. To effectively reduce energy poverty, we recommend implementing structural energy poverty policy measures, such as improving the energy efficiency of buildings. We recommend targeting these interventions to vulnerable groups and implementing them even in countries with lower rates of entry into energy poverty.
The mitigating effect of social protection on undernourishment during economic downturns: A longitudinal study of 46 low- and middle-income countries over the last two decades
(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-11-01) Barreix Sibils, Gonzalo; Brachowicz Quintanilla, Nicolai; Silva, Natanael de Jesus; Landin, Elisa; Macicame, I.; Naidoo, M.; Morais, G. de Sampaio; Rasella, Davide
Background Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of economic downturns on the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU). Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of Social Protection and Labor Programs (SPL) on PoU in 46 LMICs from 2001 to 2019, and to estimate SPL mitigating effects during economic downturns. Methods This cohort study used a multi-country ecological design with two-ways fixed effects multivariable linear regression models, adjusted for relevant demographic, socioeconomic, and contextual variables. Interaction terms between economic downturns and SPL were used to evaluate SPL mitigating effects. Findings Our study cohort displayed an average 15.30% PoU and 34.34% SPL coverage in the initial year, contrasting with 8.58% PoU and 43.81% SPL coverage in the final year. A 10% SPL coverage was associated with a 0.51% PoU reduction (95%CI: 0.04–0.99) across all countries and 0.78% reduction within the poorest subgroup. SPL have been able to prevent an estimated 1.01 billion (95% UI: 0.16–1.86) cases of undernourishment over the study period in the 46 LMICs. Economic downturns were associated with a 4.55% PoU increase (95% CI: 1.28–7.81) in all countries, and a 6.06% PoU increase in the poorest subgroup. High SPL coverage during the downturns had significant mitigating effects, reducing an overall 1.17% PoU for every 10% SPL coverage in all countries, and 1.81% PoU in the poorest nations.
The political institutional framework and renewable electricity: The impact of political institutional quality and regional authority
(International Association for Energy Economics, 2026-03-27) Albrecht, Tobias; López-Bazo, Enrique; Serrano, Mònica (Serrano Gutiérrez)
Accelerating the global transition to renewable electricity is critical for achievingclimate targets, yet progress remains uneven across countries. This study examinesthe role of political institutional quality in shaping renewable electricity deploy-ment. A review of recent literature identifies key conceptual and empirical gaps.Using a panel of 75 developed and emerging and developing countries from 1990to 2018, we conduct an in- depth empirical analysis incorporating both compositeand disaggregated measures of political institutional quality, alongside the moder-ating effect of regional political- administrative authority. We further compare theeffects of institutional improvements across different development contexts. Ourfindings indicate that aggregate measures of institutional quality obscure hetero-geneous effects among their components. In emerging and developing economies,corruption control is positively associated with renewable electricity deployment,particularly under low to moderate levels of regional authority. Conversely, higherbureaucratic quality may hinder deployment, potentially due to regulatory com-plexity. In developed countries, democratic accountability emerges as a key driver,especially in moderately decentralized systems. These results underscore the con-ditional and context- specific nature of institutional effects, suggesting that policyinterventions must align institutional reforms with governance structures to effec-tively support renewable electricity expansion.
Capital structure decisions in the energy transition: Insights from Spain
(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-12-01) Bistuer Talavera, Cristobal; Llobet Dalmases, Joan; Plana Erta, Dolors; Uribe, Jorge M.
The renewable energy transition depends heavily on capital structure decisions of energy firms. Most previous research has focused on the decisions of oil companies. This study investigates the financing of new investment in the Spanish renewable energy sector, including decisions about: i) equity versus debt, ii) short versus long-term debt, and iii) equity issuances versus retained earnings for new investment. Our analysis is based on data from over 22,000 energy firms from 2008 to 2021 and shows that these firms prefer debt over equity (more than 90% of changes in assets are financed through increasing debt) and have extended the term of the debt over the period studied (reaching a maximum of almost 73% long-term debt in 2021). The deployment of retained earnings is less usual than raising new equity capital. Our analysis points to a generalized use of project finance to support new investments. Policymakers should focus on increasing financing through equity and thus diversifying the f inancial risk of the energy transition. In addition, a supportive fiscal policy and a stable regulatory environment are desirable for achieving this goal.
Why do voters elect criminal politicians?
(Elsevier, 2024-03-01) Khemka, Abhinav
Voters across the world are often complicit in electing bad-quality legislators to political office. This problem is particularly salient in India, where candidates accused of criminality often succeed at the polls. Why do voters show a willingness to cast their ballots for candidates accused of wrongdoing? Using primary individual-level voter survey data from the Bihar 2020 state assembly elections, this paper examines whether ethnic voting can explain this surprising voter behavior. Contrary to voter preference theory, I find that voters exhibit a stronger negative response to candidates accused of criminality when they belong to their preferred ethnic party. Voter support for the non-ethnic falls by 89.2% for violent charges. Coethnicity further reduces electoral support by 67% for violent criminals. This pattern holds regardless of the voters’ level of news consumption, political knowledge, education status, and income. These findings suggest that the electoral success of criminal politicians could be attributed to other factors such as a lack of proper institutions or lower state capacity rather than the voters’ underlying ethnic preferences.
The impact of the ECB's PEPP project on the COVID-19-Induced crisis in the corporate bond market
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-02-01) Cohen, Lior; Furman, Itai
We examine the financial crisis in the European corporate bond market following the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the effectiveness of the ECB’s QE program, PEPP, in mitigating it. Using credit (Z-spread) and liquidity (scaled bid-ask spread) spreads, we find that the crisis elevated Z-spreads of corporate bonds and mostly raised the bid-ask spread of ineligible bonds – indicating that the pre-pandemic QE shored up the liquidity of eligible bonds. Moreover, ineligible bonds issued by firms in COVID-19 hard-hit industries experienced the steepest increase in the credit and liquidity spreads. The results show that PEPP decreased the credit spreads of ineligible bonds via the portfolio rebalancing channel, especially in pandemic-sensitive industries; however, it did not improve corporate bonds’ liquidity conditions.
Shattered ground, shaken minds: Mental health consequences of earthquakes
(Elsevier, 2025-02-01) Perdana, Andika Ridha Ayu; Vall Castelló, Judit
Despite growing recognition of the importance of mental health status for the achievement of the global development goals, substantial challenges persist in addressing this issue in both developed and developing countries. The literature has pointed to a variety of conditions as triggers for mental health problems, including exposure to unexpected natural disasters. Contributing to the literature, our study quantifies the mental health consequences of the devastating 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake in Indonesia. We combine the Modified Mercalli Intensity from the United States Geological Survey with individual-level data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey to assess the impacts on municipalities with varying earthquake intensities. Employing a difference-in-differences approach, we identify a significant and persistent deterioration in the mental health condition for individuals in municipalities with stronger earthquake severity. To explore the mechanisms underlying this impact, we analyze the roles of family casualties, physical health declines, and socio-economic disruptions, identifying family loss and worsened physical health as particularly influential factors driving the observed mental health outcomes.
Environmental and Welfare Effects of Large-Scale Integration of Renewables in the Electricity Sector
(Springer Verlag, 2024-12-01) Davi-Arderius, Daniel; Jamasb, Tooraj; Rosellon, Juan
The 2022 energy crisis highlighted the dependence of the Europe electricity sector on imported natural gas and the need to accelerate the adoption of renewables to the power system. However, operating a reliable power system with high share of renewables might require curtailing some renewables and activating conventional generators not scheduled in the day-ahead markets to ensure system reliability. These actions can result in environmental impacts, higher system costs and welfare impacts for customers. We use a novel high-granularity data from the Spanish power system for the period 2019–2022 to estimate the effects of these actions and forecast future impact of implementing ambitious targets of the European Gas Reduction Plan. We show that reliance on conventional generators will sharply increase with the addition of renewables. However, higher electricity consumption reduces the negative welfare impacts of integrating renewables. Until renewables and storage technologies advance further, conventional generators are needed for reliable operation of the systems.
Gender in input-output analysis: introduction to the Special Issue
(Taylor & Francis, 2026-12-01) Duarte, Rosa; Sarasa, Cristina; Serrano, Mònica (Serrano Gutiérrez)
Long-term economic growth arises from the interaction of technological change and structural transformation, evolving consumption patterns, and productivity gains. Historical evidence shows these processes do not affect women and men symmetrically; rather, they often reinforce pre-existing inequalities rooted in unequal positions within economic, social, and institutional systems. This Special Issue addresses a persistent institutional and analytical gap by applying a multi-sectoral modelling perspective to the study of gender differentials. By integrating gender-disaggregated information into input–output tables and models, Social Accounting Matrices, Computable General Equilibrium models and Global Value Chain frameworks, the six papers included reveal gendered impacts of international trade, the macroeconomic effects of wage equality, uneven policy effects and differentiated vulnerabilities to shocks such as COVID-19 and oil price changes. The studies demonstrate the value of gender-aware input–output and multisectoral analysis for understanding how economic growth, globalisation, and structural change affect men and women differently, and for informing the design of more inclusive and effective economic policies.
Diversidad entre estudiantes universitarios y diferencias en la intensidad de dedicación a los estudios
(Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 2023-07-01) Díaz Álvarez, Amelia; Pons Fanals, Ernest
El Comunicado de Roma de finales de 2020 es muy explícito en la importancia de garantizar la equidad de oportunidades en el sistema universitario, tanto a nivel de acceso, progreso académico como de inserción laboral. Esto requiere conocer, no sólo las condiciones de vida de los estudiantes a nivel económico y social, sino identificar los cambios que se producen a nivel de los procesos de aprendizaje.En este sentido, son varias las investigaciones recientes que apuntan a que una de las tendencias actuales entre la población estudiantil universitaria es el incremento de su diversidad. Y, dentro de esta diversidad, se han detectado también diferencias crecientes en la intensidad de dedicación a los estudios.Es cierto que las normativas académicas de las universidades han evolucionado hacía mayores dosis de flexibilidad. Por ejemplo, a través de las opciones de matrícula a tiempo completo y tiempo parcial. Pero, más allá de estas opciones, hay indicios de que la diversidad es creciente.El objetivo de este trabajo es aportar evidencia empírica sobre estas diferencias, aprovechando la información que aporta la encuesta Vía Universitaria. Esta encuesta, que respondieron más de 40 000 estudiantes universitarios en los primeros meses del año 2021, permite identificar tipologías de estudiantes en relación con su compromiso y dedicación a la universidad, más allá de la tradicional distinción según modalidad de matrícula.Como conclusión del análisis, se pueden identificar las características (demográficas, familiares, económicas, sociales, laborales y de estudio), que más inciden en que un estudiante pertenezca a una u otra de estas tipologías. Esto tiene importancia práctica considerable, por ejemplo, a la hora de diseñar itinerarios curriculares o políticas universitarias.
¿Por qué algunos estudiantes universitarios no asisten a clase? Evidencia empírica acerca de las diferencias entre titulaciones
(Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 2023-07-01) Díaz Álvarez, Amelia; Pons Fanals, Ernest
No resulta ninguna novedad constatar que el absentismo es uno de los problemas más importantes y extendidos en las universidades españolas. Hasta el punto que lleva a plantear dudas sobre el propio modelo docente universitario. Además, hay indicios de que tras el impacto disruptivo de la pandemia de COVID-19, este absentismo puede haber aumentado. Pero, por otra parte, hay también indicios de que este absentismo no es transversal a todas las titulaciones ni todas las materias. El objetivo de este trabajo es aportar evidencia empírica sobre este grado de absentismo, comparando entre titulaciones, aprovechando la información que aporta la encuesta Vía Universitaria. Esta encuesta, que respondieron más de 40000 estudiantes universitarios en los primeros meses del año 2021, permite obtener estimaciones de las tasas de absentismo por ámbito de las titulaciones. Pero, además de obtener estas estimaciones a nivel de titulación, permite analizar cuáles son los factores más relacionados con esta no asistencia a clase. Para ello, los datos individuales de la encuesta aportan información sobre las características de cada estudiante (demográficas, familiares, económicas, sociales, laborales y de estudio), así como los motivos aducidos por el mismo para no asistir a clase. Entre las conclusiones del análisis se puede destacar que el hecho de compaginar los estudios con la dedicación laboral no resulta ser un factor tan importante como se podía suponer a priori. Y, en cambio, se detectan otros factores importantes. Factores que están mucho más relacionados con el modelo docente de cada titulación / universidad y con las especificidades propias de cada asignatura o materia académica.
Quantitative analysis of university absenteeism: The case of the Faculty of Economics and Business
(Asociación Cuadernos de Economía, 2026-02-24) Pons Fanals, Ernest; Guitart Tarrés, Laura; Bretones, María Trinidad; López Jurado, Pilar; Pigem i Vigo, Mònica; Rubert Adelantado, Glòria; Crespi Vallbona, Montserrat
Abstract: There is growing concern about low attendance among university students. In response, the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Barcelona (UB) designed a data collection procedure to verify whether this perception is correct. Data were gathered from 67% (292 out of 437) of the groups taught during the semester in which the survey was conducted. The main results indicate a wide range of attendance patterns between subjects and groups, with some groups reporting less than10% attendance and others more than 90%. The information collected from the survey was used to identify the institutional factors that most cause higher attendance in some groups than in others. Specifically, these statistical and relevant factors are theweek in which the class was held, the year, the teacher's gender and type of contract, and the type of degree. This addresses new questions for the university community.
Lifecycle analysis of the gender gap in paid and unpaid work by household structure
(Elsevier B.V., 2025-12-01) Abío, Gemma; Patxot, Concepció; Rentería, Elisenda; Souto Nieves, Guadalupe; Istenič, Tanja
The paper provides new insights into men and women’s lifetime contributions to the overall economy and societal well-being, taking both market and non-market activities into account. It extends the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) and National Time Transfer Accounts (NTTA) methodologies by including household structure – specifically, partnership and parenthood status – in the analysis. Using Spain as a case study, the results reveal the need to consider family characteristics to fully understand gendered patterns of economic production. Three synthetic indicators are defined that permit new insights concerning the well-documented gender gap. Interestingly, this gap is already present in singles (single women spend more time doing housework), reinforced in childless couples (by the division of labour) and most apparent when children are present. Visible in the indicator of family generosity, the latter dimension also shows the existence of a sizeable ‘parenthood gap’. Addressing both gaps is particularly urgent in the context of accelerated population ageing given the potential implications it holds for fertility, care provision, and intergenerational support.
Stalemate? The Complex Relationship between Educational Chess and Students’ Skills
(Elsevier B.V., 2025-09-01) Choi Mendizábal, Álvaro B. (Álvaro Borja); Hurtado, Marta; Santín, Daniel; Sicilia, Gabriela; Simancas, Rosa
Over the last decade, an increasing number of countries have integrated chess as a pedagogical tool and even as core content of their academic curricula. Nonetheless, the evidence regarding the causal effects of chess on a range of skills remains inconclusive. We report new evidence of the impact of learning chess in school on a set of cognitive and non-cognitive skills of 12-year-old students to shed light on this matter. To do this, we take advantage of the implementation of a phase-in program introducing chess into a set of schools in Catalonia (Spain). This experimental setting enables us to estimate the causal effects of practicing educational chess at school on critical thinking, attention, patience, and risk aversion. Results show that, after one academic year, the differences between the treated and control group are not statistically significant for any of these outcomes. Students who took part in the chess program significantly outperformed the students in the control group only in terms of their chess-playing knowledge and proficiency.
Biodiversity and population density
(Elsevier B.V., 2025-11-01) Jofre Monseny, Jordi
This paper estimates the effects of population density on biodiversity, with a focus on bird biodiversity in Spain. My estimates imply that a 1 percent increase in population density reduces the share of municipal area with high biodiversity value by between 0.1 % and 0.17 %. The estimates are robust to alternative specifications, identification strategies, and biodiversity measures. Land use changes are not the main mechanism at work, as biodiversity in densely populated areas is low across all land uses. In a counterfactual exercise, I find that moving people from rural to urban areas increases the overall area of high biodiversity value, as the gains in rural areas dominate the losses in cities.
The Effect of Import Competition Across Occupations
(Elsevier, 2025-01-01) Basco, Sergi; Liégey, Maxime; Mestieri, Martí; Smagghue, Gabriel
We empirically examine the effect of import competition on worker earnings across occupations. To guide our analysis, we develop a stylized model that emphasizes industries using occupations in different intensities. We show that an occupational exposure index summarizes the overall exposure of an occupation to industry-level trade shocks. Proxying these industry-level trade shocks with rising Chinese competition and using nationally representative matched employer–employee French panel data from 1993 through 2015, we obtain evidence consistent with the predictions of the model. We find that workers initially employed in occupations highly exposed to Chinese competition – as measured by our occupational exposure index – experience larger declines in earnings. The magnitude of our estimates implies that the effect of rising Chinese competition on workers’ earnings due to differences in workers’ occupations is of comparable magnitude to the effect of workers’ sector of employment. This finding suggests that accounting for the distributional effects of trade across occupations is quantitatively important.
Quantifying the health-care burden of temperature in the National Health Service in England: an economic analysis of resource use and costs
(2025-12-18) Fahr, Patrick; Cohen, François; Schiff, Jessica; Jani, Anant; Petel, Mateo; McCulloch, Malcolm; Khosla, Radhika; Perera-Salazar, Rafael
Background Climate change poses a severe and escalating threat to human health, yet its broader implications for health-care systems remain poorly understood. Although previous studies have examined mortality and hospital admissions, crucial domains such as medical prescriptions and system-wide costs have been overlooked. This study aims to provide the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of daily average temperature variability on a national health-care system. Methods In this economic analysis of resource use and costs, we analysed 4 366 981 patient records from the National Health Service (NHS) in England from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD, from April 1, 2007, to June 1, 2019. We sourced weather data from the Met Office HadUK-Gridded climate observations. We used a fixed-effects regression model, aligned with methodologies used in other climate-health studies, to estimate the temperature–health-care relationship while controlling for seasonality and practice-specific characteristics. Outcomes included daily counts of health-care events and associated costs per 1000 general-practice-registered individuals, stratified by age, sex, and care domains. We conducted additional robustness checks using alternative lag structures and model specifications. Findings Colder days (average temperature 0 ◦ C to 9 ◦ C) were associated with cumulative increases in consultations with general practitioners, inpatient admissions, and deaths, with disproportionately larger effects among older adults (age >65 years). In contrast, attendance to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department declined on cold days. Very hot days (>23 ◦ C) produced sharp same-day surges in A&E attendances and prescriptions, but cumulative effects were attenuated once the dips in the following days were included. Overall, suboptimal temperature exposure accounted for 3⋅0% (95% CI 1⋅2–4⋅7) of total health-care expenditure, with cold driving 64⋅4% of this burden. Robustness checks confirmed that these results were stable across alternative model specifications and lag structures. Interpretation Temperature variability disrupts health-care delivery, straining service capacity during busy periods. These findings provide the first system-wide benchmark for understanding the health burden of temperature, highlighting potential discrepancies between mortality and access to care. Globally, health-care systems must anticipate these disruptions, and adaptation policies outside of health-care systems are essential to reduce health and f inancial pressures. Investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and strategies to protect vulnerable populations, especially older adults, are urgently needed.

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