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This paper examines how governance actors in regional business systems engage with foreign-owned multinational corporations which are present within their territory, in attempts to retain investment and link their regions to global production networks. This is done through a qualitative analysis of policy and practice in six sub-national regions in three advanced industrialized economies (Canada, Spain and the UK), thus permitting both international and intra-national comparisons. We find that while there are broad similarities in the types of governance mechanisms used, there are notable differences in the extent and intensity of forms of market, state and associational governance of foreign direct investment. These differences partly correspond to broader institutional differences in the nature of business systems, and partly to the socio-political construction of sub-national governance space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social movements have been important sources of change and social innovation in Québec, at the national level but also in each of its regions where they were imbedded. Grassroots social movements were the building blocks of what is now known as the "Québec model" of governance. This paper discusses whether a new generation of social movements could emerge in the Québec regions where new co-construction mechanisms for policies and programs have been integrated into regional governance structures. How does this new generation of social activists position itself in regard to these new policies and structures inherited from half a century of social movements led by their predecessors? The article will focus on structures and mechanisms of concertation of regional authorities with local/regional community groups. It is based on data collected in various research projects in seven Québec regions and on longstanding professional experiences and experiences in advocacy. A parallel will be drawn between the concept of social innovation inherent to social movements and the one adopted by regional authorities based upon Schumpeter's economical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]