| Project manager: |
Erik Prawitz |
Research on economic growth has emphasized the role of human capital in economic and technological development, and in particular its role in the transition towards modern economic growth. An important empirical question is, however, to what extent it is average human capital, such as literacy rates, or “upper-tail” knowledge of a smaller group of individuals that matter.
The project uses rich new individual-level data on the universe of both Swedish inventors and individuals with a degree from a technical college between the 18 century and the outbreak of WWI. The data base allows the research group to study the relationship between human capital, innovation and productivity at the individual level, as well as at the firm and regional level.