The Dynamics of International Talent Mobility and Knowledge Spillovers: Career Trajectories and Cross-Country Gaps in the Semiconductor Industry

This study investigates how international mobility of semiconductor engineers affects knowledge spillovers in host countries across three income levels: Lower-Middle, Upper-Middle, and High, as classified by the World Bank. Drawing on a unique dataset combining international mobility records and host-country patent citations, the analysis reveals that Upper-Middle income economies achieve per-engineer spillover effects comparable to or even exceeding those of High income economies, challenging the conventional view of developed-country advantage. In contrast, Lower-Middle economies exhibit persistently low spillover efficiency, suggesting structural absorptive barriers. The study also uncovers distinct spillover trajectories across income groups: High income countries follow a “rapid-onset” model, while Upper-Middle economies display a “mature-growth” pattern where spillovers increase with career progression. By reframing spillovers as a dynamic efficiency process rather than a function of scale, this study offers new insights into the interaction between career development and national innovation capacity, with implications for global talent strategies and innovation policy.