References
- Audretsch, D. B., Lehmann, E. E., & Warning, S. (2005). University spillovers and new firm location. Research Policy, 34(7), 1113–1122. doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2005.05.009.
- Balland, P. A., Boschma, R., Crespo, J., & Rigby, D. L. (2018). Smart specialization policy in the European Union: Relatedness, knowledge complexity and regional diversification. Regional Studies, 53(9), 1252–1268. doi: 10.1080/00343404.2018.1437900.
- Balland, P. A., Boschma, R., & Ravet, J. (2019). Network dynamics in collaborative research in the EU, 2003–2017. European Planning Studies, 27(9), 1811–1837. doi: 10.1080/09654313.2019.1641187.
- Birlan, I., Davidescu, A. A., Tita, C. E., & Nae, T. M. (2025). Modeling regional ESG performance in the European Union: A partial least squares approach to sustainable economic systems. Mathematics, 13(15), 2337.
- Bol, T., de Vaan, M., & van de Rijt, A. (2018). The Matthew effect in science funding. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A, 115(19), 4887–4890. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1719557115(2018).
- Davidescu, A. A., Lobonț, O. R., Manta, E. M., Mihiț, L. D., & Țăran, A. M. (2025). Crossing chasms: A PLS approach to EU public sector performance assessment. PLOS ONE, 20(6), e0325994. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325994.
- Dima, A. M., Busu, M., & Vargas, V. M. (2022). The mediating role of students’ ability to adapt to online activities on the relationship between perceived university culture and academic performance. Oeconomia Copernicana, 13(4), 1253–1281.
- Enger, S. G., & Castellacci, F. (2016). Who gets Horizon 2020 research grants? Propensity to apply and probability to succeed in a two-step analysis. Scientometrics, 109, 1611–1638. doi: 10.1007/s11192-016-2145-5.
- European Commission. (2021a). Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA) – Horizon Europe. Publications Office of the European Union. https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/aga_en.pdf.
- European Commission. (2021b). Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe. Official Journal of the European Union, L170, 1–68. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/695/oj.
- European Commission. (2025). Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025: Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area (Part 11). https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2025/wp-11-widening-participation-and-strengthening-the-european-research-area_horizon-2025_en.pdf.
- Eurostat. (2024). NUTS - Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nuts.
- Funk, R. J. (2014). Making the most of where you are: Geography, networks, and innovation in organizations. The Academy of Management Journal, 57(1), 193–222. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43589253.
- Gao, Y., Xiang, L., Yi, H., Song, J., Sun, D., Xu, B., Zhang, G., & Wu, I. X. (2025). Confounder adjustment in observational studies investigating multiple risk factors: A methodological study. BMC Medicine, 23(1), 132. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-03957-8.
- Ghirelli, C., Havari, E., Meroni, E., & Verzillo, S. (2023). The long-term causal effects of winning an ERC grant. IZA Discussion Paper No. 16108. https://docs.iza.org/dp16108.pdf.
- Gräbner, C., & Hafele, J. (2020). The emergence of core-periphery structures in the European Union: A complexity perspective. ZOE Discussion Papers No. 6. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/224134/1/172895116X.pdf.
- Harris, M., & Holley, K. (2016). Universities as anchor institutions: Economic and social potential for urban development. In M. Paulsen (Eds.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (Vol. 31). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-26829-3_8.
- Howells, J. R. L. (2002). Tacit knowledge, innovation and economic geography. Urban Studies, 39(5–6), 871–884. doi: 10.1080/00420980220128354 (Original work published 2002).
- Lane, J. I., Owen-Smith, J., Rosen, R. F., & Weinberg, B. A. (2015). New linked data on research investments: Scientific workforce, productivity, and public value. Research Policy, 44(9), 1659–1671. doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2014.12.013.
- Manski, C. F. (1993). Identification of endogenous social effects: The reflection problem. The Review of Economic Studies, 60(3), 531–542. doi: 10.2307/2298123.
- Pearl, J. (2013). Causality: Models, reasoning, and inference (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511803161.
- Reichert, S. (2019). The role of universities in regional innovation ecosystems. European University Association. https://www.eua.eu/images/pdf/eua_innovation_ecosystem_report.pdf.
- Sharma, A., & Kiciman, E. (2020). DoWhy: An end-to-end library for causal inference. arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.04216. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2011.04216.
- Valero, A., & Van Reenen, J. (2019). The economic impact of universities: Evidence from across the globe. Economics of Education Review, 68, 53–67. doi: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.09.001.