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This editorial presents the Regional Studies special issue entitled 'Smart Specialisation and Learning Regions as a Competitive Strategy for Less Developed Regions', which promotes theoretical and empirical research on Smart Specialisation Strategies in less developed regions, highlighting the role of collaborative networks, regional development policies and governance models to extant new theoretical conceptualizations within this field. This special issue includes a set of eight papers, and it is our expectation that it contributes to the advancement of our understanding of the field, catalyses further attention, and helps to identify future challenges and the research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart Specialisation (S3) has been the driving force behind the European Union's regional innovation strategy for the last seven years. However, criticism has been levelled at the policy as lacking an evidence base. This paper tackles this gap in the literature by providing an empirical assessment of a strategy remarkably similar to S3: the Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF). The paper finds that the MEIF has succeeded in increasing employment, but is less successful in increasing productivity. Given the similarity between the MEIF and S3, the paper provides important lessons for European practitioners and policy-makers implementing the strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of human agency in 40 phases of regional economic development in 12 Nordic regions over 30 years. It contributes with a theoretical framework to study agency over time and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis based on a unique dataset combining over 200 interviews, with printed and online sources, and quantitative data. The paper identifies which combinations of agency types and context conditions make industrial upgrading or diversification possible, and investigates how such combinations come into being. The causal claims from this analysis are illustrated with empirical examples and discussed in relation to previous literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation has been a key topic of interest for the regional studies community. In particular, the regional characteristics and impacts of innovation have been a popular theme of enquiry and theorisation, and the community has been at the forefront of discussions around regional innovation systems, in particular. However, we see a large gap in the current state of the art around frugal innovation. The focus of this paper is to place this topic at the heart of our discussions of regional innovation. This is done by providing a case study of frugal innovations in Kashmir over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, illustrating the urgency and relevance of exploring frugal innovation at the regional level, especially as a rapid place-based crisis response, specifically in a developing nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how certain spatial logics are used to support contemporary region-building processes, and how these become taken for granted and institutionalized in specific regional settings. These spatial logics are also representative of the spatial logics dominating contemporary regionalism and affect the ways 'spaces' and 'citizens' are treated and valued in regional planning and policy. Few studies have shown how spatial logics are implemented, transformed and turned into policy across a wider set of regions. Exemplified by The Scandinavian 8 Million City project, the paper shows how this regional imaginary was constructed by the project promotors using several representative spatial logics of what constitutes the 'best' region as idealized in planning and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Official figures on regional incomes in the UK are compiled on a nominal basis. This paper develops a contemporary measure of relative regional prices in the UK, which suggests that the impact on relative regional living standards is substantial. Interregional differences in real incomes are therefore considerably smaller than nominal ones. It is hoped this study will stimulate further research. Insofar as prices are systematically higher in wealthier regions, there are important policy ramifications and public policy focused on regional assistance and redistribution should take account of these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies territorial patterns of location of R&D+I grants supporting projects within the Polish Smart Specialisation framework. Using a data set of R&D+I grants from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs), the paper analyses the geographical concentration of projects, the link between local characteristics and the implementation of projects, and attempts at cooperation among organizations implementing projects. The results show an urban–rural divide and confirm the agglomeration of projects around the main Polish cities and industrial locations. By contrast, less-than-adequate conditions in rural areas and smaller counties may limit the potential for attraction and implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the Smart Specialisation approach was expected to require an especially challenging commitment to policy learning in less advanced regions compared with advanced ones. This paper suggests a partially different analytical framework by discussing the relevance of path dependency in the design and implementation of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3). The research question concerns the relationship between previous experiences in innovation policy also in less advanced regions and RIS3 policy processes. Based on the two case studies of Sicily and Apulia (Italy), the paper investigates in which way policy heritage contributed to the quality of processes and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial and accompanying themed issue reflect on the centrality of cities to regional development. Focusing on the role and function of cities in processes of innovation, production, distribution and consumption as both individual sites and networks of sites of production, the papers examine classic questions in economic geography about concentration, diffusion, and flows of labour and capital and the policy regimes that govern that movement. They also contribute empirically and theoretically to opening up broader conversations from a global perspective regarding how cities serve as nodes in global networks both anchoring and ultimately locating global and regional flows of capital and labour. Finally, they identify what is at stake in debates over cities and regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue comprehensively researches China's financialization and examines the transformation of its development model, state development corporations, local government bonds, productivity, and the extent and characteristics of financialization. While it is widely known that the state plays an important role in enabling and constraining financialization, these papers further reveal that China's financialization originates from the state's deployment of financial approaches to urban and regional development under state entrepreneurialism. Through internalizing financial logic into the state development system, the expansion of financial operations reflects the state's developmental intention and increases its governance capability. Thus, financialization is not a unidirectional process but involves extensive state involvement and participation in finance, to such an extent that it often simultaneously evolves into greater interference and de-financialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how distributed and relational forms of place-based leadership can be facilitated in environments with constrained local governance capabilities. It is based on an in-depth case study of a university-hosted collaborative platform situated in a city/regional institutional landscape marked by limited local devolution and public sector austerity. The research contributes to a fuller understanding of place-based leadership by analyzing how actors can mobilize interpretive and network forms of power outside formal governance structures to encourage long-term thinking and broker innovative cross-organizational projects. Equally, however, it highlights their continuing dependence on legitimating forms of local institutional and resource authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public innovation subsidies in a regional environment are expected to unfold a positive economic impact over time. The focus of this paper is on an assessment of the long-run impact of innovation and innovation subsidies in German regions. This is scrutinized by an estimation approach combining panel model and time-series characteristics and using regional data for the years 1980–2014. The results show that innovation and innovation subsidies in the long run have a positive impact on the economic development of regions in Germany. This supports a long-term strategy for regional and innovation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of inclusive growth is increasingly presented as offering prospects for more equitable social outcomes. However, inclusive growth is subject to a variety of interpretations and lacks definitional clarity. In England, via devolution, cities are taking on new powers for policy domains that can influence inclusive growth outcomes. This opens up opportunities for innovation to address central issues of low pay and poverty. This paper examines the extent to which inclusive growth concerns form a central or peripheral aspect in this new devolution through the content analysis of devolution agreements. It concludes that inclusive growth concerns appear to be largely sidelined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yeung H. W.-C. Regional development and the competitive dynamics of global production networks: an East Asian perspective, Regional Studies. The debate on the nature and dynamics of regional development in both academic and policy circles has now moved on from the earlier focus on endogenous regional assets to analysing the complex relationship between globalization and regional change. This position paper attempts to engage with this debate through the experience of regional development in East Asia. The paper shows that regional development cannot be understood independently of the changing dynamics of global production networks. While the existing literature on East Asia tends to focus on the state as the key driver of economic development at the national and regional levels, it is argued that the developmental state is a necessary but not sufficient condition for regional development to take place. Instead, one needs to study the complex strategic coupling of those economic actors, particularly large business firms, operating in specific regions in Asia with their lead firm counterparts orchestrating production networks on a global basis... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The role of the state remains underdeveloped in the regional path development literature. This paper analyses how the Norwegian state via different roles (regulator, purchaser, owner, facilitator) directly and indirectly has enabled and influenced path development in two defence-related high-tech manufacturing regions in Norway since the end of the Second World War, notably by contributing to the modification of localised assets and the strategic coupling of those assets to extra-regional defence-related and civilian markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a theoretical lens from the anthropology of development, this paper takes an actor-oriented approach to understand the socio-cultural context of regional path development in a peripheral rural region and the role of local agency, drawing on a qualitative case study of the Cradle Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. Findings demonstrate the value of bottom-up attention to the logics of regional actors to understand regional development trajectories and the emergence of new economic paths. Analysing the regional development logics and actions of local actors in particular contexts can reveal the mechanisms through which regions create new paths or reinforce old ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper further explores the novel concept of the opportunity space, which refers to the limits and possibilities of regional development trajectories and the idea of deliberative agency. Opportunity spaces are formed, perceived and used by individual agents or groups of agents and serve as a bridge between structure and agency. Drawing on six comparative case studies from Finland, Norway and Sweden, the study introduces a conceptual framework to investigate how actors search for and construct opportunities in regions by linking opportunity spaces to social filters that frame their perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of agency in regional industrial path development using an integrated framework that combines three recent conceptualizations of agency: (1) firm- and system-level agency; (2) trinity-of-change agency; and (3) reproductive and change agency. Our framework redefines firm- and system-level agency into organizational- and system-level agency to enable a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of the agency of various regional actors. Empirically, we contribute to the literature by analysing the evolutionary trajectories of two coal regions with vastly contrasting development dynamics. Our research primarily attributes these divergences to the substantial differences in the nature and vigour of system-level agency. However, our empirical research reveals that most actors exerted both organizational- and system-level agency, although at profoundly different intensities and scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New path creation processes are a vital component of regional economic development. This paper establishes a behavioural framework to examine and understand such processes. It is argued that human agency and the network dynamics through which these agents interact are at the heart of new path creation processes. In particular, effective new path creation requires the formation of collective forms of agency based on strong strategic networks underpinned by a shared commitment. Regions that are equipped with such agency and networks are more likely to be capable of embracing and managing the economic complexity and adaptability necessary to generate the innovation associated with new development paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We investigate empirically the role of an evolving high-speed rail (HSR) network in improving the regional water environment via industry agglomeration. We use Graph Theory to construct a data set reflecting a continuous evolution of cities' accessibility to the HSR network. We find that cities with higher degree and closeness centralities in the HSR network tend to have less industrial water pollution. The reallocation of a high-skilled labour force leads to the agglomeration of skill-intensive and clean industries in cities with higher HSR centralities. We show that the evolution of the HSR networks is indeed conducive to the sustainable regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of transnational territories for policy implementation (TTPI) is increasingly presented within the European Union (EU) as offering prospects for tackling common development issues affecting transnational spaces. Following on from the experiences of Interreg-B and the EU macro-regional strategies (MRS), this paper explores the advantages for a transnational territorial development approach and details concrete criteria to delimit those territories worldwide. These are divided into natural geographical elements and human-related geographical features. It concludes that natural elements will prevail when delimiting TTPI, but additional human development layers should be considered in this delimitation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The regional innovation systems (RIS) concept has become popular among academics, political decision-makers and regional stakeholders of innovation. Understanding the competitive dynamics of RIS and their impact on regional competitiveness today has thus become a priority. This paper provides researchers, academics, political decision-makers and other interested parties with a map of the different approaches to RIS, aiding in the definition of new territorial innovation policies. With a co-citation resource approach, an extensive search of the Web of Science database was carried out and it encountered four clusters in the literature on RIS: regional knowledge systems; regional institutional systems; regional research and development systems; and regional network systems. This correspondingly sets out new theoretical perspectives based on bibliometric analysis techniques and new paths for scientific reflection and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do anchor infrastructures matter for regional Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3)? This paper investigates the potential of anchor infrastructures to leverage RIS3. An exploratory case study approach is employed. The data are derived from a huge infrastructure project in the Portuguese region of the Alentejo. The study reveals the effectiveness of investment in anchor infrastructure and its contribution to leveraging RIS3. The findings provide insights into the contribution of large public investments in RIS3, identifying key impacts along several important dimensions, shedding a light on one important dimension in Smart Specialisation studies hitherto ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran has implemented financial and legal support policies for new technology-based firms (NTBFs) since 2009. An assessment of these policies shows an unintended effect of perpetuating core–periphery development gaps, but also a limited understanding of the conditions for NTBF creation. This paper proposes a policy model for NTBF creation in less developed regions that adopts the broader perspective of the entrepreneurial discovery process associated with the Smart Specialisation concept. The policy model considers the entrepreneurs' level, the firms' level and the regional entrepreneurial environment to ensure adequate representation of all actors in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines how new airport infrastructure influences regional tourism. Identification is based on the conversion of a military airbase into a regional commercial airport in the German state of Bavaria. The new airport opened in 2007 and promotes travelling to the touristic region of Allgäu in the Bavarian Alps. A synthetic control approach is used to show that the new commercial airport increased tourism in the Allgäu region over the period 2008–16. The positive effect is especially pronounced in the county in which the airport is located. The results suggest that new transportation infrastructure promotes regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the green diversification of regional technologies and its consistency with the Smart Specialisation logic of related diversification. It also analyses the role that key enabling technologies (KETs), as a key pillar of Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3), have in green branching. Working on a patent-based panel (1981–2013) of 240 European regions, it is found that the relatedness to pre-existing knowledge makes a new green-tech specialization more probable. This holds true for the relatedness to both green and non-green pre-existing knowledge, but to a greater extent for the latter. Thus, the 'hybridization' of non-environmental technologies seems to require lower cognitive proximity than 'pure' green branching. Regional KETs also facilitate the transition towards sustainable technologies and negatively moderate the green impact of the relatedness to pre-existing technologies, both green and non-green. The results confirm that Smart Specialisation policies and the support to KETs could also help regions move towards environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AppleyardL. The geographies of access to enterprise finance: the case of the West Midlands, UK,Regional Studies. Whilst there is a long history of credit rationing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, the financial crisis has seen banks retreat further from lending to viable SMEs due to a reassessment of risk and lack of available capital. In so doing, the credit crunch is thought to be creating new geographies of financial exclusion. This paper explores the financial inclusion of enterprise through community development finance institutions (CDFIs) which provide loan finance to firms at the commercial margins in the West Midlands, UK. The paper concludes that CDFIs could partially address the financial exclusion of enterprise as an additional, alternative source of finance to that of mainstream banks. AppleyardL. 企业融资管道的地理：英国西密德兰的案例研究，区域研究。在英国，中小企业（SMEs）的信贷配给已历史久远，但在金融危机中，银行却因对于风险的再评估以及缺乏可运用的资本，因而进一步紧缩对可行的中小型企业的借贷。于此，信贷紧缩被认为创造了新的金融排斥性地理。本文透过提供金融借贷给英国西密德兰商业边陲地带企业的社区发展金融机构(CDFIs)来探讨对企业的金融包容。本文结论道：CDFIs 做为主流银行之外的一个额外、替代性金融管道，可以部分处理对企业的金融排斥性。 金融危机 金融排斥性 社区发展 企业 AppleyardL. Les géographies de l'accès au financement des entreprises: étude de cas de la région des West Midlands, au Royaume-Uni,Regional Studies. Alors que le rationnement du crédit aux petites et moyennes entreprises (Pme) est de longue date au Royaume-Uni, le choc financier a vu les banques abandonner davantage leurs engagements de prêt aux Pme solvables suite à une réévaluation du risque et faute de capitaux disponibles. Par la suite, on considère que le resserrement du crédit s'accompagne des nouvelles géographies de l'exclusion financière. Cet article cherche à examiner l'inclusion financière de l'entreprise par le biais des institutions financières de développement communautaire (Community Development Finance Institutions: CDFI) qui fournissent des garanties de crédit aux entreprises aux marges commerciales dans les West Midlands, au Royaume-Uni. En guise de conclusion, l'article affirme que les CDFI, en tant qu'une autre source de financement complémentaire à celle des banques commerciales, pourraient faire face en partie à l'exclusion financière de l'entreprise. Choc financier Exclusion financière Développement communautaire Entreprise AppleyardL. Geografien der Verfügbarkeit von Unternehmensfinanzierung: der Fall der West Midlands in Großbritannien,Regional Studies. Die Rationierung von Darlehen an kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen (KMU) hat in Großbritannien lange Tradition, doch seit der Finanzkrise scheuen die Banken auch vor Darlehen an finanziell solide KMU zurück, da die Risiken neu bewertet werden und nicht ausreichend Kapital zur Verfügung steht. Hierdurch scheint die Kreditkrise neue Geografien der finanziellen Ausgrenzung zu erzeugen. In diesem Beitrag wird die finanzielle Eingliederung von Unternehmen mit Hilfe der Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) untersucht, die Darlehen für wirtschaftlich marginalisierte Firmen in der britischen Region West Midlands finanzieren. Das Fazit lautet, dass CDFIs als zusätzliche bzw. alternative Finanzierungsquelle zu den etablierten Banken die finanzielle Ausgrenzung von Firmen teilweise lindern könnten. Finanzkrise Finanzielle Ausgrenzung Gemeinschaftsentwicklung Firmen AppleyardL. Las geografías del acceso a la financiación de empresas: el caso de West Midlands, RU,Regional Studies. Aunque el racionamiento del crédito para pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes) en el Reino Unido tiene una larga tradición, la crisis financiera ha llevado a los bancos a reducir los préstamos a las pymes sólidas debido a una revaloración de los riesgos y falta de capital disponible. Por este motivo, parece ser que la crisis del crédito está creando nuevas geografías de exclusión económica. En este artículo analizo la inclusión financiera de empresas a través de las instituciones financieras para el desarrollo de los municipios (CDFI) que ofrecen financiación para préstamos a empresas comercialmente marginalizadas de West Midlands, Reino Unido. Concluyo el artículo sosteniendo que las CDFI podrían solucionar parcialmente el problema de la exclusión financiera de las empresas como una fuente adicional y alternativa de financiación en vez del sistema bancario clásico. Crisis financiera Exclusión financiera Desarrollo de la comunidad Empresas [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Etherington D. and Jones M. City-regions: new geographies of uneven development and inequality, Regional Studies. Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning literature on the 'new regionalism'. Protagonists have made persuasive arguments about regions as successful models of economic and social development. This paper argues that the championing of 'city-regions' provides an opportunity for taking these debates further. It draws on research taking place on the Sheffield City-Region, UK, and particularly discusses the interrelationships between competitiveness, work-welfare regimes - those policies and strategies dealing with labour market governance and welfare state restructuring - labour market inequalities and low pay. The paper suggests that city-regions reinforce, and have the potential to increase, rather than resolve, uneven development and socio-spatial inequalities... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union has been adopting so-called macro-regional strategies since 2009. Its final goal is to develop an integrated framework to address common challenges and opportunities of particular transnational areas. This paper aims to identify such growth opportunities in the most recently established macro-area: the European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP). It does so by identifying how to increase efficiency in the exploitation of growth assets, taking into consideration that EUSALP is characterized by a wide productive diversity. This is defined in terms of regional development patterns, conceptualized and empirically detected making use of an original database. The results show that EUSALP can gain greater competitiveness through a better use of existing resources, especially in the touristic development pattern. Further research on cooperation and integration policies for a more effective exploitation of existing abundant resources is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelton C. M. L., Pasquale M. K. and Rebelein R. P. Using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to identify national industry cluster templates for applied regional analysis, Regional Studies. Whereas Feser and Bergman developed the concept of national-level cluster templates and introduced a systematic methodology to identify such clusters, their technique and results were based on the now-outdated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system for categorizing industries. The paper updates their results using the 1997 Benchmark Input-Output Accounts for the USA, which are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Since the treatment of services is much more comprehensive under NAICS, the paper expands on the Feser and Bergman manufacturing templates to identify more comprehensive mixed-sector templates. The cluster templates determined can provide a foundation for regional economic development strategies. [image omitted] Kelton C. M. L... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to a more in-depth theorization of the role of community and culture in regional development with a specific reference to the diverse communities who identify as Indigenous peoples. The concept of Indigenous regional development is used to describe how Indigenous cultural perspectives on regions, knowledge and the kinds of relationships that can generate innovation are distinctive from mainstream scholarly and policy conceptualizations. Indigenous regional development opens up new conceptual terrain for both regional development theory and policy, creating new opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration and regional innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lagendijk A. (2006) Learning from conceptual flow in regional studies: framing present debates, unbracketing past debates, Regional Studies 40, 385–399. The field of regional studies is characterized by an intense flow of ideas and concepts, accompanying what can be described as a restless shifting of perspectives and approaches. Most of the inspiration for this dynamics is drawn from other disciplinary fields. Yet, the importation and translation of ‘external’ ideas is often criticized for resulting in rather haphazard and fuzzy conceptualizations. Moreover, rather than carefully assessing new ideas and insights in the context of ongoing debates on regional development, there is a tendency to sidetrack existing lines of debate and call for new ‘turns’ and ‘perspectives’. Without playing down the importance of conceptual innovation, the paper calls for a stronger appreciation of our conceptual inheritance. Taking the genealogy of a dominant line of thinking in the field, the ‘Territorial Innovation Models’, as a starting point, the paper discusses how one can advance the debate by using both ‘old’ and ‘new’ (internal and external) ideas regarding three core analytical levels in regional studies: micro, meso and macro. Recent ideas on relationality, in particular, are considered helpful in reassessing as well as refining the value of ‘older’ structuralist–institutionalist macro-approaches, and in situating the contribution from more recent debates on the (micro) role of cognition and knowledge. Finally, a call is made for a careful absorption of sociological work to take into account the broader (meso) institutional economic environment in which regions operate. Regional studies Economic geography Regulation approach Institutional approaches Cognitive approaches Lagendijk A. (2006) Learning from conceptual flow in regional studies: framing present debates, unbracketing past debates, Regional Studies 40, 385–399. The field of regional studies is characterized by an intense flow of ideas and concepts, accompanying what can be described as a restless shifting of perspectives and approaches. Most of the inspiration for this dynamics is drawn from other disciplinary fields. Yet, the importation and translation of ‘external’ ideas is often criticized for resulting in rather haphazard and fuzzy conceptualizations. Moreover, rather than carefully assessing new ideas and insights in the context of ongoing debates on regional development, there is a tendency to sidetrack existing lines of debate and call for new ‘turns’ and ‘perspectives’. Without playing down the importance of conceptual innovation, the paper calls for a stronger appreciation of our conceptual inheritance. Taking the genealogy of a dominant line of thinking in the field, the ‘Territorial Innovation Models’, as a starting point, the paper discusses how one can advance the debate by using both ‘old’ and ‘new’ (internal and external) ideas regarding three core analytical levels in regional studies: micro, meso and macro. Recent ideas on relationality, in particular, are considered helpful in reassessing as well as refining the value of ‘older’ structuralist–institutionalist macro-approaches, and in situating the contribution from more recent debates on the (micro) role of cognition and knowledge. Finally, a call is made for a careful absorption of sociological work to take into account the broader (meso) institutional economic environment in which regions operate. Etudes régionales Géographie économique Approche de contrôle Approches institutionnelles Approches cognitives Lagendijk A. (2006) Learning from conceptual flow in regional studies: framing present debates, unbracketing past debates, Regional Studies 40, 385–399. The field of regional studies is characterized by an intense flow of ideas and concepts, accompanying what can be described as a restless shifting of perspectives and approaches. Most of the inspiration for this dynamics is drawn from other disciplinary fields. Yet, the importation and translation of ‘external’ ideas is often criticized for resulting in rather haphazard and fuzzy conceptualizations. Moreover, rather than carefully assessing new ideas and insights in the context of ongoing debates on regional development, there is a tendency to sidetrack existing lines of debate and call for new ‘turns’ and ‘perspectives’. Without playing down the importance of conceptual innovation, the paper calls for a stronger appreciation of our conceptual inheritance. Taking the genealogy of a dominant line of thinking in the field, the ‘Territorial Innovation Models’, as a starting point, the paper discusses how one can advance the debate by using both ‘old’ and ‘new’ (internal and external) ideas regarding three core analytical levels in regional studies: micro, meso and macro. Recent ideas on relationality, in particular, are considered helpful in reassessing as well as refining the value of ‘older’ structuralist–institutionalist macro-approaches, and in situating the contribution from more recent debates on the (micro) role of cognition and knowledge. Finally, a call is made for a careful absorption of sociological work to take into account the broader (meso) institutional economic environment in which regions operate. Regionalstudien Verordnungsansatz institutionelle Ansätze Wirtschaftsgeographie kognitive Ansätze Lagendijk A. (2006) Learning from conceptual flow in regional studies: framing present debates, unbracketing past debates, Regional Studies 40, 385–399. The field of regional studies is characterized by an intense flow of ideas and concepts, accompanying what can be described as a restless shifting of perspectives and approaches. Most of the inspiration for this dynamics is drawn from other disciplinary fields. Yet, the importation and translation of ‘external’ ideas is often criticized for resulting in rather haphazard and fuzzy conceptualizations. Moreover, rather than carefully assessing new ideas and insights in the context of ongoing debates on regional development, there is a tendency to sidetrack existing lines of debate and call for new ‘turns’ and ‘perspectives’. Without playing down the importance of conceptual innovation, the paper calls for a stronger appreciation of our conceptual inheritance. Taking the genealogy of a dominant line of thinking in the field, the ‘Territorial Innovation Models’, as a starting point, the paper discusses how one can advance the debate by using both ‘old’ and ‘new’ (internal and external) ideas regarding three core analytical levels in regional studies: micro, meso and macro. Recent ideas on relationality, in particular, are considered helpful in reassessing as well as refining the value of ‘older’ structuralist–institutionalist macro-approaches, and in situating the contribution from more recent debates on the (micro) role of cognition and knowledge. Finally, a call is made for a careful absorption of sociological work to take into account the broader (meso) institutional economic environment in which regions operate. Estudios regionales Geografía económica Enfoque regulatorio Enfoques institucionales Enfoques cognitivos [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Döring T. and Schnellenbach J. (2006) What do we know about geographical knowledge spillovers and regional growth?: a survey of the literature, Regional Studies 40, 375–395. Modern (endogenous) growth theory tells us that knowledge is crucial for the sustained growth of high-income economies. Against this background, the paper provides a survey of theoretical and empirical findings highlighting the question of how geographically limited knowledge diffusion can help to explain clusters of regions with persistently different levels of growth. It discusses this topic in two steps. First, the theoretical concept of knowledge spillovers is outlined by discussing the different types of knowledge, the spatial dimension of knowledge spillovers, and the geographical mechanisms and structural conditions of knowledge diffusion. Second, it analyses the empirical evidence concerning the theoretical propositions. Döring T. and Schnellenbach J. (2006) What do we know about geographical knowledge spillovers and regional growth?: a survey of the literature, Regional Studies 40, 375–395. Modern (endogenous) growth theory tells us that knowledge is crucial for the sustained growth of high-income economies. Against this background, the paper provides a survey of theoretical and empirical findings highlighting the question of how geographically limited knowledge diffusion can help to explain clusters of regions with persistently different levels of growth. It discusses this topic in two steps. First, the theoretical concept of knowledge spillovers is outlined by discussing the different types of knowledge, the spatial dimension of knowledge spillovers, and the geographical mechanisms and structural conditions of knowledge diffusion. Second, it analyses the empirical evidence concerning the theoretical propositions. Retombées de connaissance, Croissance régionale, Recherche et développement, Innovation, Diffusion des innovations Döring T. and Schnellenbach J. (2006) What do we know about geographical knowledge spillovers and regional growth?: a survey of the literature, Regional Studies 40, 375–395. Modern (endogenous) growth theory tells us that knowledge is crucial for the sustained growth of high-income economies. Against this background, the paper provides a survey of theoretical and empirical findings highlighting the question of how geographically limited knowledge diffusion can help to explain clusters of regions with persistently different levels of growth. It discusses this topic in two steps. First, the theoretical concept of knowledge spillovers is outlined by discussing the different types of knowledge, the spatial dimension of knowledge spillovers, and the geographical mechanisms and structural conditions of knowledge diffusion. Second, it analyses the empirical evidence concerning the theoretical propositions. Nebenwirkung von Kenntnissen, regionales Wachstum, Forschung und Entwicklung, Innovation, Verbreitung von Innovationen Döring T. and Schnellenbach J. (2006) What do we know about geographical knowledge spillovers and regional growth?: a survey of the literature, Regional Studies 40, 375–395. Modern (endogenous) growth theory tells us that knowledge is crucial for the sustained growth of high-income economies. Against this background, the paper provides a survey of theoretical and empirical findings highlighting the question of how geographically limited knowledge diffusion can help to explain clusters of regions with persistently different levels of growth. It discusses this topic in two steps. First, the theoretical concept of knowledge spillovers is outlined by discussing the different types of knowledge, the spatial dimension of knowledge spillovers, and the geographical mechanisms and structural conditions of knowledge diffusion. Second, it analyses the empirical evidence concerning the theoretical propositions. Desbordamientos de conocimiento, Crecimiento regional, Investigación y desarrollo, Innovación, Divulgación de innovaciones [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matuschewski A. (2006) Regional clusters of the information economy in Germany, Regional Studies 40, 409–422. In Germany, similar to other countries, enterprises that belong to the information economy (IE) tend to concentrate in a few regions. The paper takes a closer look at the reasons and driving forces for regional clustering within the IE. It is based on the analysis of three German IE clusters: Hamburg, Dresden and the Technology Region Karlsruhe. The analysis follows an explorative, actor-oriented approach using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative empirical methods. The paper concentrates on selected aspects of clustering, questioning the relevance of different theoretical concepts for regional clusters within the IE. It confirms that regional clusters rely on sectoral and regional factors that shape specific regional development paths. Matuschewski A. (2006) Regional clusters of the information economy in Germany, Regional Studies 40, 409–422. In Germany, similar to other countries, enterprises that belong to the information economy (IE) tend to concentrate in a few regions. The paper takes a closer look at the reasons and driving forces for regional clustering within the IE. It is based on the analysis of three German IE clusters: Hamburg, Dresden and the Technology Region Karlsruhe. The analysis follows an explorative, actor-oriented approach using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative empirical methods. The paper concentrates on selected aspects of clustering, questioning the relevance of different theoretical concepts for regional clusters within the IE. It confirms that regional clusters rely on sectoral and regional factors that shape specific regional development paths. Regroupements régionaux, Sentiers de croissance, Economie de l'information, Allemagne Matuschewski A. (2006) Regional clusters of the information economy in Germany, Regional Studies 40, 409–422. In Germany, similar to other countries, enterprises that belong to the information economy (IE) tend to concentrate in a few regions. The paper takes a closer look at the reasons and driving forces for regional clustering within the IE. It is based on the analysis of three German IE clusters: Hamburg, Dresden and the Technology Region Karlsruhe. The analysis follows an explorative, actor-oriented approach using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative empirical methods. The paper concentrates on selected aspects of clustering, questioning the relevance of different theoretical concepts for regional clusters within the IE. It confirms that regional clusters rely on sectoral and regional factors that shape specific regional development paths. Regionale Cluster, Entwicklungswege, Informationswirtschaft, Deutschland Matuschewski A. (2006) Regional clusters of the information economy in Germany, Regional Studies 40, 409–422. In Germany, similar to other countries, enterprises that belong to the information economy (IE) tend to concentrate in a few regions. The paper takes a closer look at the reasons and driving forces for regional clustering within the IE. It is based on the analysis of three German IE clusters: Hamburg, Dresden and the Technology Region Karlsruhe. The analysis follows an explorative, actor-oriented approach using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative empirical methods. The paper concentrates on selected aspects of clustering, questioning the relevance of different theoretical concepts for regional clusters within the IE. It confirms that regional clusters rely on sectoral and regional factors that shape specific regional development paths. Aglomeraciones regionales, Vías de desarrollo, Economía de la información, Alemania [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper tests, at the regional and industry level, the extent to which domestic investment is stimulated or crowded out by inward foreign direct investment. The paper develops a model of domestic investment, based on standard models drawn from macroeconomics and industrial economics. The paper then goes on to show that, at a general level, the 'development' or agglomeration hypothesis is confirmed that domestic investment is indeed stimulated by inward investment. However, there is also evidence that, in certain regions, inward investment has crowded out domestic investment. The implications of this from the perspective of regional policy are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyses the system-wide impact of increased household energy efficiency in a regional context, using Scotland as an example. It shows that household energy efficiency improvements typically deliver a 'double dividend' of a regional economic stimulus and reduction in energy use. However, the trade-off between the two is sensitive to the degree of regional fiscal autonomy, and so is likely to vary across regions. The use of taxation to support the implementation of energy-efficiency improvement programmes negatively impacts competitiveness, unless workers are willing to accept lower after-tax wages to fund public spending on improving household energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial symbiosis is an important concept for regional development in which industrial organizations seek to use one another's outputs and inputs, reduce waste and achieve economic benefits. Though the technical details of this phenomenon are well known, the roles of key individuals and, particularly, their championing processes remain unclear. This paper includes a pre-study of a national industrial symbiosis system, followed by an in-depth case study of a regional industrial symbiosis related to heat reuse. The findings reveal novel implications about how champions facilitate collaboration among regional organizations and other stakeholders, leading to the emergence of industrial symbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of 'Inclusive Growth' - a concern with the pace and pattern of growth - has become a new mantra in local economic development. Despite enthusiasm from some policy-makers, others argue it is a buzzword which is changing little. This paper summarizes and critiques this agenda. There are important unresolved issues with the concept of Inclusive Growth, which is conceptually fuzzy and operationally problematic, has only a limited evidence base, and reflects an overconfidence in local government's ability to create or shape growth. Yet, while imperfect, an Inclusive Growth model is better than one which simply ignores distributional concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the old debate between export competitiveness and local economic cohesion. It builds a simple model of the trade-off between resource allocation inside or outside a region, which allows for the construction of a synthetic indicator of local economic interdependence. Openness is measured by the share of businesses belonging to an exporting sector. Next, it examines the relationship of these indicators with employment growth in metropolitan France. Both interdependence and openness influence employment growth positively, but their effects depend on both the macroeconomic and local context. These results bring new insights for a finer design of regional policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]