Higher Education, Innovation and Growth

This chapter presents an overview and presents some suggestive evidence about the role of highly educated workers in promoting technological and scientific progress and as a consequence economic growth in Europe. The evidence on education and growth is reviewed, followed by a discussion on international migrations with an emphasis on highly-skilled scientists and engineers. Migration of human capital could be a viable and effective way of increasing supply of skills in Europe. However the migration channel in most cases has not worked to improve the skills of the European labour force. Finally, estimates on a so-called 'dynamic effect' of highly-educated and talented workers on the rate of scientific and technological innovation is discussed.