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Many studies in economics and regional science claim a positive link between interpersonal trust and innovation by demonstrating a positive effect of trust on patenting. This contrasts many findings from organization level studies on trust and innovation, who report a variety of findings including inverted‐U type relations. A possible explanation is that trust exhibits different roles in invention and innovation, as the former relies on knowledge commons while the latter directly embeds commercialization and the market context. This study attempts to reconcile the two set of findings by studying indicators of invention and innovation in relation to trust at the same unit of observation, by using the regional variation in Europe. I study the relationship between interpersonal trust and patent applications (a measure of invention), trademark applications (a composite indicator) and the share of innovative sales in turnover by SMEs (a direct indicator of commercialization), across European regions. I show that trust positively affects trademark applications with an effect that is comparable to that on patent applications. However, trust exhibits an inverted‐U type relationship with innovative sales. Results collectively point to a strong role of trust in all three creative activities, including a negative effect at the higher end when the indicator is directly contingent on commercialization and sales. I also estimate the extent of spatial spillovers in the effect of trust on all three creative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Who drives regional economic development in entrepreneurial ecosystems of different types? Using longitudinal data on 267 NUTS-3 European regions during the period 2008–16, we apply the entrepreneurial ecosystem theoretical framework to study how entrepreneurial ecosystem type moderates the relationship between a variety of entrepreneurship and regional economic development. It is found that regional economic development proxied by gross value added per resident responds differently to solo self-employment, job creators and new-firm birth rates as well as changes in a share of productive high-growth entrepreneurship across different entrepreneurial ecosystems. The findings have implications for regional and national policy-makers and scholars who study the geography of entrepreneurship. [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 explores the specialisation of European Union (EU) regions in key enabling technologies (KETs) and assesses whether or not being specialised in these technological areas has an effect on regional growth. The evidence presented shows that regions specialised in KETs are concentrated in central Europe; however, over the period taken into account (1996–2011), less innovative and peripheral EU regions have been increasing their specialisation in these technological areas at the expense of the most advanced regions. There is also evidence that (spatial) diffusion of KETs often occurs across regions contiguous to each other. The results of the econometric estimations show that being specialised in KETs affects regional economic growth (per capita gross domestic product) and that this effect is stronger in the case of less innovative EU regions. Overall, these results hint at the pervasive nature and enabling role of KETs and demonstrate the importance for EU regions to target these technologies as part of their smart specialisation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the majority of studies and reports highlight, during the 2001-2013 period the Eastern eu states showed accelerated rhythms of economic convergence. The general conclusion stays that as the economic performance of the Eastern EU countries approaches that of the Western EU states, the level of internal disparities also increases, indicating that the trends of convergence might be affected by the territorial context of data aggregation and specific processes of economic accumulation at each NUTS scale. This paper analyzes how the territorial scale of data aggregation can explain different intensities of the economic convergence, in a flexible multi-scalar approach to the indicators. A top-down descriptive approach is employed, starting with the national level and continuing to the nuts3 spatial frame of data modeling, estimating how the trends of the convergence process are shifting when the scale of analysis is modified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the impact of local and regional networks and clusters existing in creative industries on regional innova9 tion ecosystems. Real examples of such creative environments shows that they can operate independently of the other regional sectors or can be interconnected with regional sectors. On the basis of the five presented cases, the level of linkag12 es with other sectors was presented. Theoretical background used in the paper is grounded in network approach in strategic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the characteristics of clusters and cluster organi8 zations operating in cultural and creative industries. To present the sector in terms of sales and employment values the statistical data were analysed, using different approaches to determining the scope of the creative sector (Eurostat, International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers as well as European Cluster Observatory). The data are compiled with the number of clusters in the EU coun13 tries. Presented results shows the need for continues monitoring the cultural and creative sectors to adapt national and regional innovation policy and coordinate the cooperation between creative industries and other sectors of the nation16 al/regional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the early years of the Friesian Dairy School and is a case study of how knowledge institutions were integrated into a regional economic cluster. The dairy school was the result of cooperation between people and organisations from the economic and political sectors, which inspired the emergence of an industrial dairy cluster. The school had a difficult start because it was not clear whether higher education was a matter of private or public interest. In the discussions about the funding and direction of the school, we can observe how patterns of cooperation in and between the economic sector and the state were shaped. The study shows how cooperative structures originate in processes of trial and error. Cluster evolution can therefore be driven by both discord and consensus within economic networks. The result of such non-linear and multi-scalar developments ultimately reflect a clear differentiation of tasks between economic actors, the state and knowledge institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Spatial Economic Analysis 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 current increase of regional inequalities in Europe, and in particular in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has led to the reconsideration and revival of the concepts of "polarisation" and "convergence" in academic fi elds like regional economics, economic geography and spatial planning as well. In contrast to the classical view on these concepts determined by functionalism and topology, the new theoretical and empirical perspectives are emphasising a multidimensional perspective. In addition, there is an important debate about the relation between economic inequalities and growth. This article provides a critical overview and assessment of the theoretical and empirical work on regional inequalities with special emphasis on theories of economic and social polarisation, regional economic growth, convergence, and social inequalities. We att empt to combine two powerful concepts of polarisation and convergence, emphasising their relational and multi-scalar nature. Building on this basis, we propose a multidimensional concept of socio-economic polarisation, which comprises processes of convergence and divergence, growth and mobility in economic and social dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze the impact of the quality of human capital on the main economic indicators of South-Eastern Europe countries [SEE] at the NUTS 2 level. The subjects of this research are the human capital indicators of regional competitiveness. The quality of human capital depends largely on the age structure of the population and the quality of education. Those regions, which have the highest percentage of the working-age population and highly educated people, are able to achieve higher productivity and gain a competitive advantage over other regions. As main indicators of the quality of human capital we identified: population; persons aged 25-64 with tertiary education attainment; students in tertiary education and participation of adults aged 25-64 in education and training and human resources in science and technology. As main economic indicators, we identified: regional gross domestic product; employment and income of households. The aim of this paper is to determine whether there is a correlation between the indicators of the quality of human capital and economic indicators. As a main methodology we have used the correlation coefficient which shows interdependence of the analyzed indicators. As part of our analysis, we consider only EU member states that belong to the SEE countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. We conclude that in all countries there is a high multiple correlation coefficient between the indicators human resources in science and technology, number of students and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After eight years since acquiring the status of EU member state, Romania is still registering high disparities regarding the regional development, even if over the past years the funding from the European Regional Development Fund has started to be significant. The inter- and intraregional disparities are seen both in terms of aggregate economic results, and in respect of infrastructure, territorial distribution and the business enterprise system, the urban/ rural relation, the conditions of living and especially the population's income level. Unfortunately, the ambitious projects for reducing the regional disparities inspired by the policy in the field of EU have been suppressed quickly by the world economic crisis. This being said, the authors aim at analysing the earnings disparities on regional level in Romania, respectively the impact the economic crisis has had over the dynamic of these disparities. Thus, we have attempted to identify the factors to have influenced the earnings and the earning inequalities. For the econometric analysis, we decided to assess a data panel at the level of development regions. The independent variables to have entered the pattern were the gross added value, foreign direct investments, the post-graduate and higher education graduates and the inflation rat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article contributes to the ‘new’ European regionalism by discussing the role that regional identity can play in regional development. It is based on the concept of ‘regional identity’ as the keystone of the institutionalization of the region and as consisting of two intertwined and complementary components: the regional consciousness of the inhabitants and the identity of a region. Through the heuristic study of relevant scholarly articles, the authors critically discuss six case studies from European countries dealing with the relationship between regional identity and regional development and published in the first decade of the new millennium. To date, research has examined the role of regional identity as both a successful and unsuccessful driver in regional development. From the case studies, a third possible role of regional identity is identified: regional identity as a barrier to regional development. Further, the article discusses the relationship between these three roles and attempts to identify factors causing the differentiation of the effects of regional identity in the context of regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates performance drivers of microfinance suppliers in Europe. As such suppliers, in contrast to advanced microfinance suppliers in developing economies, typically focus on uncollateralized microcredit services to individuals at the margins of society and of labor markets, we draw on the theory of social capital and empirically investigate the role that social capital may play in the overall performance of European microfinance suppliers. We build a unique, unbalanced panel data set of 302 microfinance service providers in Europe covering the years 2008–2015, and measure their performance in terms of credit risk, financial and social performance, and efficiency. Pursuing an econometric approach, we test a series of hypotheses using various measures of conditions conducive to building social capital on both the institutional and the country level, such as the client base of a microfinance supplier and the level of cultural fractionalization in a society. Our findings confirm that a higher intensity of social capital is positively associated with all areas of the performance of microfinance suppliers in Europe. Our conclusions could help in the design and launch of microfinance institutions in those European countries in which microfinance markets are developed not at all or only to a very limited extent. Our paper thus contributes to the nascent literature on microfinance in developed economies by applying and extending the theoretical framework and empirical models on social capital and microfinance that were originally elaborated for developing economies. • Social capital has a positive influence on repayment, profitability, and depth of social outreach. • Higher proportion of clients from rural areas improves most MFI performance indicators. • Smaller lending entities perform better than their bigger counterparts. • Profit-oriented institutions outperform not-for-profits in all the areas of performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study aimed at assessing the character of the convergence process in the European Union (EU) member countries during 2002-2012. The study found that transitive economies approached the EU core in their chosen economic characteristics during the period. The results of the cluster analyses did not define the decreasing tendencies of cluster distances among European countries.