The effect of high-tech exports on economic growth: panel data analysis for upper-middle income countries

Purpose: In the globalizing world, one of the most important factors for countries to reach higher income\rlevels is to have an export pattern based on high technology. It is a very important issue, especially\rif the countries in the upper- middle income level support the economic growth of their exports with\rthe technology they have. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of high technology product\rexports on economic growth in 29 upper-middle income countries.\rMethodology: In this study, the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator developed by Eberhardt and\rTeal (2010) using panel data for the period 1996-2017 was used.\rFindings: According to the results of the analysis using the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator,\rthere was no statistically significant effect of high-tech product exports on economic growth. Gross fixed\rcapital formation and public expenditures included in the model as control variable had a statistically\rsignificant and positive effect on economic growth, but there was no found statistically significant\rrelationship regarding the total labor variable.\rOriginality: It is thought that the study will contribute to the economics literature in terms of drawing\rattention to the importance of high technology product exports in reaching a higher income level in\rupper-middle income countries.