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Space has always been essential within the economy, yet its importance in economics has been downplayed in several ways. This editorial introduces the seven papers comprising this issue of Spatial Economic Analysis (SEA) and shows that while the classics of economics acknowledged the importance of the location of economic activities, for many years the study of space was left to heterodox economics scholars and geographers. This is despite the established tradition of learned societies, such as Regional Science International and the Regional Studies Association, which are placed at the intersection of these fields. Space finally became mainstream in economics again due, on the one hand, to the introduction of the new economic geography some 30 years ago and, on the other, to the fact that several different economic sub-disciplines have come to understand and consider space as essential for the processes they study. This was facilitated by methodological advancements, such as in spatial econometrics. The seven papers in this issue henceforth illustrate some of the situations and approaches which make space relevant to contemporary economic questions. Essential are, in particular, the interactions between different locations and the interactions between individuals and geographical features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses debates on the role of agency in shaping the economic future of regions. Scholarship on agency departs from the earlier focus of evolutionary economic geography, which highlighted the role of pre-existing structural conditions. This paper challenges the notion that agency is only found in intentional action and is limited to key actors within a region. It questions exclusive focus on the impact of entrepreneurial leaders, place leaders and government, and identifies agency in the accumulated micro-decisions of multiple decision-makers, using the example of workers affected by the closure of Australia's passenger vehicle industry. In so doing, it underscores the twin roles of collective vision and meaningful implementation in the successful transformation of regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two of the canonical approaches in regional studies are global production networks (GPNs) and evolutionary economic geography (EEG). Recent geopolitical and economic events have shown the importance of both theories in explaining regional economic change. Yet they remain discrete and separate, and there is now consensus that, together, they could explain more. A vibrant debate on the relationship between these two approaches is needed, starting with identifying unifying themes and areas of analytical difference, to develop a research agenda for future work which can better explain regional change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary economic geography has sought to understand the development of regional industrial pathways but tended to neglect both the multiscalarity of economic development and the role of institutional change. The concept of coevolution seeks to bridge this gap but is still too vague for empirical application. Understanding the interactions between path development and institutional change in regional economies and on higher spatial scales requires retheorizing coevolution along the dimensions of institutional–industrial coevolution, path multiplicity and multiscalarity. The article proposes such a retheorized concept of coevolution by integrating concepts of path development, institutions, institutional change, institutional entrepreneurship, institutional work and nestedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper pilots an approach for using trademark data to study regional diversification. Bridging the respective literatures, we develop a regional trademarking-intensity measure that can shed new light on how different regions diversify while also accounting for changing industrial structures and income levels (regional gross domestic product). The approach reveals that density has a moderate effect on trademarking intensity and confirms the strong relationship between new firm formation and regional diversification. These effects are found to vary by sector and to be sensitive to industry-level employment and turnover. Lastly, the analysis indicates that regional diversification differs sharply between urban and peripheral regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of market access on human capital accumulation in Turkey. Using individual-level data, the analysis explores the background of human capital accumulation, combining market accessibility, wages and human capital development. Upon the treatment of wages as an endogenous covariate of interest and overtime work as an exogenous source of variation, we find evidence that the impact of market access on human capital development vanishes in ways not predicted by the augmented New Economic Geography set-up for human capital accumulation. Findings confirm that economic policies may be effective in reducing regional variation in human capital endowments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism development has often been identified as a tool for balancing negative effects of economic restructuring, especially in peripheral regions. Tourism-based activities often utilize the availability of abundant nature, but although most English language studies of destination development are presented from western contexts, examples from post-Soviet Russia are rare. Western Siberia is a periphery with access to natural resources and heavy industrialization but remotely located from domestic (Russian) and international markets, where tourism is often considered a saviour, especially for the regional economies. Stakeholders in this Russian resource periphery face challenges in managing governance and cooperation in destinations development due to frequent institutional, economic and social changes. Using evolutionary economic geography and based on primary sources and interview data, tourism development and stakeholder relations are assessed in three Western Siberia regions: Tomsk, Kemerovo and Altai Krai. Findings show that for tourism to make a significant contribution, it must be more central to the economic development agenda in all three regions. However, it is currently only achieving a permanent high-profile in one of them, being crowded out by other (mostly primary) industries in the other two. Although the specific tourism governance set-up varies between the three regions, it is clear that public tourism governance still sits somewhat uneasily between state control and the market economy. Tourism receives substantial public subsidies, especially in large-scale investment projects, which depend on federal support within a governance system where decentralization seems to be somewhat limited and unstable. As a result, the tourism path development in the Siberian periphery is highly dependent on state intervention and success in other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although economic geography has made considerable progress in explaining the emergence of new industrial development paths, a number of issues have yet to be sufficiently explored. The purpose of this article is to contribute to economic geography research on path creation by developing a conceptual framework that specifies key conditions and reinforcing mechanisms for path creation, on the one hand, and barriers to the materialization of such conditions and mechanisms, on the other hand. As such, the framework moves beyond firm-centric perspectives and argues that path creation needs to be understood as a collective endeavor incorporating both firm and nonfirm actors. By implication, this necessitates an understanding of the broader contexts that shape path creation processes, including how the dynamics of an emerging path are affected by the dynamics of established paths. The authors employ this framework to analyze Norway's offshore wind power (OWP) industry. Their analysis reveals that an initial enabling context for OWP path creation turned into more constrained conditions. Similar to findings from a number of other studies, they identify branching between related sectors as a primary path creation mechanism. However, they find that this mechanism is vulnerable to shifting contextual conditions, which for various reasons resulted in the studied emerging path losing resources and legitimacy, thus implying potential negative path interdependence. The authors also identify barriers to path creation in the institutional environment, particularly in terms of lack of policy coherence in support for key resource formation processes that are pivotal for path creation processes to generate sustained momentum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by ongoing research into the cluster concept that considers dynamic features of economic development and the cluster life cycle, differences between traded clusters and local activity across different spatial scales are examined for Ireland. Using recent cluster definitions for Europe, this paper presents clustering patterns within the Irish economy from 2008 to 2012. We report on data requirements when applying the benchmark cluster definitions to Irish data. Integrating small, open economy features with life-cycle concerns, we focus on specific clusters in Ireland, along with their export performance, noting that appropriate cluster boundaries are neither regional nor national. Analyses indicate that while Ireland hosts a number of internationally competitive clusters, foreign-owned firms remain substantially more productive than indigenous enterprises. We identify the geographical location of these prominent clusters at the NUTS-3 regional level and highlight the role of regional features for differences in adaptive cycles of clusters. We identify a substantial portion (60%) of Irish regional wage variation relates to the different cluster mixes across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years, economic resilience has become a popular term in both theory and policy practice. This interest was triggered by the fact that some regional economies were extremely vulnerable, while others have managed to overcome, more or less effectively, the worse consequences of the current economic crisis. Within this context, questions arise regarding the role that policies at both the national and subnational levels can play in shaping regional economic resilience. Although high in the academic and political agenda, understanding the policy and governance aspects of resilience still remains a relatively underdeveloped area. The paper contributes to this debate focusing on an area which has been most severely hit by crises, the Region of West Macedonia, in Greece. The case study builds on the historical trajectory of the region in order to explain how different types of policies have influenced the ability of West Macedonia to respond to economic slumps and crises of the last 30 years. Evidence suggests that national protectionist policies largely explain not only resilience of the region against previous crises, but also its vulnerability towards the still ongoing economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The purpose of this article is to stimulate the discussion about the constant influx of new and potentially useful methods for empirical investigations in regional science and policy analysis. Particularly, the focus here lies on a brief presentation of 'quasi'-experimentalist methods as a promising approach to derive causal statements with respect to the effectiveness of regional policy instruments. Outlining potential advantages and pitfalls of this approach by means of an illustrative empirical example, this article finally sets up a research agenda for its future use by regional scientists and economic geographers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Paul David first published his economic histories of path-dependent innovation, the subject has exerted fascination upon scholars of innovation and technological change and, latterly, regional scientists and economic geographers. This paper speaks of the third and fourth of these communities in the main, though it may have theoretical and empirical elements of interest to the first two as well. It begins with an overview of recent perspectives and critiques concerning the relevance of the path dependence concept to the understanding of regional economic development and its associated governance. It then goes on to discuss the contribution of evolutionary economic geography to thinking about “branching” from path dependence and the creation of new paths. Evidence for key generic spatial processes of path transition is provided before the main content of the paper concludes with new insights into the contributions of regional innovation policy to path evolution. Conclusions are then drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

abstract In a seminal article, Chinitz (1961) considered the effects of industry size, structure, and economic diversification on the performance of firms and regional economies. His inquiry suggested a related but conceptually distinct issue: how does the extent to which a regional industry or industrial sector is concentrated in a small number of firms affect the local performance of that industry? The question has not been addressed systematically in empirical research other than case studies, principally because accurately measuring regional concentration requires firm-level information. This exploratory study uses confidential plant-level data to gauge concentration in manufacturing industries at the regional scale across the continental United States, to explore changes over time in geographic patterns of concentration, and to investigate associations between regional industrial structure concentration and changes in employment. The implications for understanding the impacts of regional industrial structure on economic development processes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional economics appears to be losing its currency in academic discourse, with a clear preference over recent years for the term 'spatial economics'. This essay examines the nature of the developments in order to explore their implications for regional economics, focusing on four key aspects: empirical methods and the 'tools' of regional economics; theory and the appropriate spatial scale; the 'regional problem'; and regional policy. It finds reasons to suggest that the 'region' is of less importance, but argues that the use of the term 'spatial' does not reflect dissatisfaction with regional economics, but rather it signals the reinvigoration of the subject from its formal connection to mainstream economics. This is primarily in the form of the new economic geography model, although limitations with this have led to an unsatisfactory form of regional policy that is based on growth theory. Avance de l'economie spatiale: une communication sur la nature et la pertinence de l'economie regionale RESUME L'economie regionale semble avoir perdu du terrain dans les discussions academiques, et on lui prefere clairement, depuis quelques annees, l'expression 'economie spatiale'. La presente communication se penche sur la nature des developpements, afin d'explorer leurs implications pour l'economie regionale, en examinant les quatre aspects principaux suivants: les methodes empiriques et les 'outils' de l'economie regionale; la theorie et l'echelle spatiale appropriee; le 'probleme regional'; et la politique regionale. Il determine des raisons pour affirmer que la 'region' joue un role moins important, mais estime que l'usage du mot 'spatial' ne reflete pas le mecontentement avec l'economie regionale, mais indique un renouveau pour ce sujet apres ses liens officiels avec l'economie generale. Ce renouveau se presente principalement sous forme du nouveau modele de geographie economique, bien que certaines de ses limitations risquent de donner lieu a une forme peu satisfaisante de politique regionale, basee sur la theorie de la croissance. Avance de lo espacial: un trabajo sobre la naturaleza y la importancia de la economia regional RESUMEN La economia regional parece estar perdiendo su difusion dentro de la disertacion academica, mientras que durante los ultimos anos se observa una preferencia clara por el termino 'economia espacial'. Este trabajo examina la naturaleza de los desarrollos con objeto de explorar sus implicaciones para la economia regional, centrandose en cuatro aspectos clave: metodos empiricos y las 'herramientas' de la economia regional; teoria y la escala espacial apropiada; el 'problema regional'; y politica regional. Encuentra razones que sugieren que la 'region' tiene menor importancia, aunque arguye que el uso del termino 'espacial' no refleja insatisfaccion con la economia regional, sino que indica la revitalizacion del tema con respecto a su conexion formal con la economia dominante. Esto se da principalmente en la forma del nuevo modelo de geografia economica, aunque sus limitaciones pueden resultar en una forma insatisfactoria de politica regional basada en teoria de crecimiento. [image omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinch J. P. and O'Neill E. Applying spatial economics to national spatial planning, Regional Studies. Despite the impressive development of the field of spatial economics, some have criticized the lack of policy applications. In addition, the literature has not yet identified the relevance of New Economic Geography, and spatial economics generally, for national spatial planning. This is surprising considering the interest in spatial planning policy in Europe. By combining old theories of trade and space with New Economic Geography, this paper applies spatial economics to national spatial planning and examines a case study of Ireland. The paper suggests that spatial economics provides a useful theoretical framework for the analysis of national spatial planning policy, but suffers from deficiencies in respect of its consideration of social and environmental aspects of planning and development... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How should we think of the role of regions in relation to the global economy? Theory has surprising gaps when it comes to building a unified vision of these two scales of development. Two contributions to such a vision are proposed in this article. First, the relationship between geographic concentration and the regional economic specialization it underpins and globalization should be theorized as a dynamic process. Standard location and trade theory is not adequate for this task; instead, the dynamic relationship can be captured through growth theory. But capturing this dynamic relationship requires correcting growth theory to separate its local and its global components, which are, respectively, Marshall- Arrow and Romer externalities. Second, the missing element in all theories of geographic concentration and locally specialized development is an element labeled "context" here. A theory of context, in turn, raises important new questions about the dynamic welfare and developmental effects of contemporary processes of fragmenting and relocating production at a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article, part of a special section on the resurgence of Russia, discusses the varying effects of the political changes of the post-Soviet era on the country's disparate regions. It examines how economic and human geography has been affected by central planning in the Soviet Union, by the economic turmoil of post-communism in the 1990s, and by the economic recovery of the 2000s. Specific topics include Soviet economic isolationism, Russian energy development, land settlement patterns, and regional economic disparities.

Although there is a growing body of research into the cultural and creative industries, little work has focused specifically upon on the geography of design and its role in regional economies. The relative neglect of the geography of the UK design industry is surprising given recent assertions about the sector's role in national economic competitiveness; its contribution to product innovation; and its importance as an urban regeneration resource. This paper explicitly considers the extent to which existing conceptualizations of agglomeration and creativity provide insights into the realm of design. Our discussion reflects upon recent surveys of the design sector and analyses current design organization membership data, both of which reveal an overwhelming concentration of design activities in London and the South East. Our analysis of the strategies, organization and practices of agencies in London reveals that a number of the key features associated with cultural industries in general are significantly less discernible within design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oerlemans L. A. G. and Meeus M. T. H. (2005) Do organizational and spatial proximity impact on firm performance?, Regional Studies 39 , 89-104. Recent theoretical developments in organization science, economic geography and regional economics have emphasized the importance of organizational and geographical proximity for the performance of firms. Empirical evidence on these relationships is scarce, though. The paper asks to what extent firm-specific resources, network activity, proximity and industry factors influence innovative and economic outcomes. We used a theoretical synthesis of regional and organizational science, and economic geography to build a research model that enabled us to derive several hypotheses on the influence of different forms of proximity on outcomes, taking other relevant predictors for performance into account. The empirical findings specify the importance of proximity especially for innovative outcomes. We found that in particular intra- and interregional relations with buyers and suppliers are conducive for firm performance. Moreover, innovation strategy (dis)similarity has interesting effects on relative firm performance. Finally, sectoral research and development spillovers influence outcomes in a positive way. Oerlemans L. A. G. et Meeus M. T. H. (2005) La proximité organisationnelle et géographique, importe-t-elle pour la performance des entreprises?, Regional Studies 39 , 89-104. De récentes avances théoriques dans la science organisationnelle, la géographie économique, et l'économie régionale ont souligné l'importance de la proximité organisationnelle et géographique pour la performance des entreprises. Cependant, rares sont les preuves empiriques sur ces rapports. Cet article cherche à déterminer dans quelle mesure les ressources spécifiques à l'entreprise, la constitution de réseaux, la proximité, et les facteurs liés à l'industrie influencent les résultats innovateurs et économiques. A partir d'un synthèse théorique de la science régionale et organisationnelle, et de la géographie économique, on construit un modèle de recherche qui permet d'obtenir plusieurs hypothèses sur l'influence de diverses formes de proximité sur les résultats, tout en tenant compte des autres moyens d'estimer la performance. Les résultats empiriques précisent l'importance de la proximité, surtout pour ce qui est des résultats innovateurs. Il s'avère en particulier que des rapports intra et interrégionaux avec les acheteurs et les vendeurs sont propices à la performance des entreprises. En outre, la(dis)similitude entre les stratégies en faveur de l'innovation a des effets intéressants sur la performance relative des entreprises. Pour finir, les retombées de R et D sectorielles influencent les résultats de façon positive. Oerlemans L. A. G. und Meeus M. T. H. (2005) Die Auswirkung organisatorischer und räumlicher Nähe auf Firmenleistung, Regional Studies 39 , 89-104. Die neuesten theoretischen Entwicklungen auf den Gebieten der Organisationswissenschaft, Wirtschaftsgeographie und Regionalwirtschaft haben die Bedeutung organisatorischer und geographischer Nähe für Firmenbildung betont. Es gibt jedoch nur wenig empirische Beweise für diese Beziehungen. In diesem Aufsatz wird die Frage aufgeworfen, in welchem Ausmaß firmenspezifische Ressourcen, Netzwerkunternehungen, Nähe und Industriefaktoren innovative und wirtschaftliche Ergebnisse beeinflussen. Die Autoren benutzen eine theoretische Synthese regionaler und organisatorischer Wissenschaften sowie der Wirtschaftsgeographie, um ein Forschungsmodell zu konstruieren, das sie in die Lage versetzt, verschiedene Hypothesen über den Einfluß unterschiedlicher Formen der Nähe auf Ergebnisse anzugeben, wobei andere relevante Voraussagefaktoren für Leistung in Rechnung gestellt werden. Die empirischen Befunde heben die Bedeutung der Nähe besonders für innovative Ergebnisse hervor. Es ergibt sich, daß der Firmenleistung vorallem intra-und interregionale Beziehungen zu Käufern und Lieferanten dienlich sind. Darüberhinaus üben (Un)ähnlichkeiten der Innovationsstrategien interessante Wirkungen auf relative Firmenleistung aus. Letztlich hat auch die Verbreitung von Forschung und Entwicklung einen positiven Einfluß auf die Ergebnisse. Oerlemans L. A. G. y Meeus M. T. H. (2005) Cómo afecta al rendimiento de las empresas la proximidad espacial y organizacional?, Regional Studies 39 , 89-104. Los desarrollos teóricos recientes en torno a la ciencia organizacional, la geografía económica y la economía regional han resaltado la importancia de la proximidad geográfica y organizacional para el rendimiento de las empresas. No obstante, la evidencia empírica en torno a dichas relaciones es escasa. En este artículo, nos planteamos hasta qué punto los recursos específicos de las empresas, actividades de networking , la proximidad y los factores industriales influyen los resultados económicos y de innovación. Utilizamos una síntesis teórica de la ciencia regional y organizacional, así como de la geografía económica, para elaborar un modelo de investigación que nos permitiera derivar una serie de hipótesis sobre la influencia de los diferentes tipos de proximidad en los resultados, teniendo en cuenta otros indicadores relevantes para el rendimiento. Nuestros resultados empíricos realzan la importancia de la proximidad especialmente para los resultados de innovación. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que, en particular, las relaciones intra- e inter-regionales con compradores y proveedores conducen al rendimiento de las empresas. Además, la desemejanza entre las estrategias de innovación tiene efectos interesantes en el rendimiento relativo de las empresas. Finalmente, los efectos de arrastre de I&D sectoriales influyen en los resultados de forma positiva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Braunerhjelm P. and Borgman B. (2004) Geographical concentration, entrepreneurship and regional growth: evidence from regional data in Sweden, 1975-99, Regional Studies 38 , 929-947. This paper implements Swedish data cross-tabulated on 143 industries (four-digit level) and 70 labour market regions for 1975-99 to examine empirically the degree of concentration in the production of goods and services, the relationship between concentration and regional growth, and the role of regional entrepreneurship. To our knowledge, these issues have not been analysed previously at this level of aggregation. Ellison-Glaeser indexes and Gini location quotients reveal a geographical concentration in Swedish industry that is stronger than in the USA. The econometric results imply a 2-6% higher growth in regionally concentrated industries. The effect is more pronounced for knowledge-intensive manufacturing, network industries and industries intensively using raw material. It is also found that regional entrepreneurship and regional absorption capacity are important explanations of regional growth, whereas the impact of the skill-level and economies of scale is more mixed. Braunerhjelm P. et Borgman B. (2004) La concentration géographique, l'esprit d'entreprise et la croissance régionale: des preuves provenant des données régionales pour la Suède, de 1975 à 1999, Regional Studies 38 , 929-947. Cet article cherche à employer des données suédoises allant de 1975 à 1999 et croisées pour 143 industries (au niveau à quatre chiffres) et pour 70 régions délimitées en fonction des marchés du travail, afin d'examiner de façon empirique l'importance de la concentration de la production des biens et des services, le rapport entre les notions de concentration et de croissance régionale, et le rôle de l'esprit d'entreprise régional. On dirait que ces questions n'ont pas été analysées à un tel niveau. Des indices Ellison-Glaeser ainsi que des coefficients Gini laissent voir une concentraion géographique de l'industrie suédoise plus forte qu'aux Etats-Unis. Les résultats empiriques laissent supposer une croissance des industries concentrées sur le plan régional qui est supérieure de 2 à 6%. L'effet s'avère plus marqué pour l'industrie à intensité de connaissance, pour les industries de réseau et pour les industries à forte consommation de matières premières. Il s'avère aussi que l'esprit d'entreprise régional et la capacité d'absorption régionale sont d'importantes explications de la croissance régionale, alors que l'impact du niveau de compétence et des économies d'échelle s'avère plus mitigé. Braunerhjelm P. und Borgman B. (2004) Geographische Ballung, Unternehmertum und regionales Wachstum: Beweismaterial von schwedischen Regionaldaten im Zeitraum 1975-99, Regional Studies 38 , 929-947. In diesem Aufsatz werden schwedische, für 143 Industrien (vierstellige Höhe) kreuz-tabellierte Daten und 70 Arbeitsregionen für den Zeitraum 1975-99 dazu benutzt, das Ausmaß der Konzentration bei Güterherstellung und Dienstleistungen, die Beziehung zwischen Konzentration und regionalem Wachstum, und die Rolle regionalen Unternehmertums empirisch zu untersuchen. Soviel bekannt, sind derartige Fragen auf dieser Stufe der Häufung bisher noch nicht analysiert worden. Ellison-Glaeser Verzeichnisse und Gim Standortquotienten lassen eine geographische Konzentration in der schwedisichen Industrie erkennen, die diejenige der USA noch übertrifft. Die ökonomischen Ergebisse lassen auf ein 2 bis 6 Prozent höheres Wachstum in regional konzentrierten Industrien schließen. Bei Fachkenntnisse intensiver einsetzender Herstellung, vernetzten Industrien und intensiv Rohmaterial verarbeiteden Industrien ist die Auswirkung ausgeprägter. Es wurde auch festgestellt, daß regionales Unternehmertum und regionale Aufnahmefähigkeit wichtige Erklärungen regionalen Wachstums darstellen, während die Auswirkung fachmännischen Könnens und Einsparungen durch erhöhte Produktion unterschiedlicher ausfällt. Braunerhjelm P. y Borgman B. (2004) Concentración geográfica, empresarialidad y crecimiento regional: evidencia obtenida de datos regionales de Suecia para el periodo 1975-99, Regional Studies 38 , 929-947. En este artículo utilizamos datos de suecia correspondientes ai periodo comprendido entre 1975 y 1999 y realizamos un análisis cruzado para 143 industrias (a nivel de cuatro dígitos) y para 70 regiones de mercado laboral con el finde examinar empíricamente el grado de concentración de la producción de mercancías y de servicios, la relación entre concentración y crecimiento regional, y el rol de la empresarialidad regional. A nuestro entendimiento estas cuestiones no han sido previamente analizadas a tal nivel de agregación. Los índices de Ellison-Glaeser y los cocientes de locación de Gini revelan una concentración geográfica en la industria sueca más acentuada que en los Estados Unidos. Los resultados econométricos insinúan un 2-6 por ciento de mayor crecimiento en las industrias regionalmente concentradas. El efecto es más pronunciado en la manufactura que requiere un uso intensivo de conocimiento, industrias de red, y en industrias que utilizan materias primas de forma intensiva. También descubrimos que la empresarialidad regional y la capacidad regional de absorción son explicaciones importantes del crecimiento regional, mientras que el impacto del nivel de capacitación y de las economías de escala es más mixto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varga A. and Schalk H. J. (2004) Knowledge spillovers, agglomeration and macroeconomic growth: an empirical approach, Regional Studies 38 , 977-989. Endogenous growth theory emphasizes the role of knowledge spillovers in macroeconomic growth but leaves out the regional dimension, although substantial evidence has been provided in the recent empirical economics literature that a significant fraction of knowledge spillovers tends to be localized. The new economic geography literature extends this framework by pointing to the interplay between spillovers and agglomeration and to the resulting cumulative regional growth, but until the recently, it has left out the macroeconomic dimension. This paper takes a step in the direction of empirically investigating the role of localized factors of technological change in macroeconomic growth. It is suggested that not only technological change, but also spatial economic structure should be treated endogenously in economic growth models. It is argued that the particular spatial structure of the economy is an important factor in macroeconomic growth. To demonstrate this, an empirical modelling framework is developed that links a model of localized knowledge production with a complete macroeconometric model and applies Hungarian data in concrete investigations. Varga A. et Schalk H. J. (2004) Les retombées de connaissance, l'agglomération et la croissance économique: une façon empirique, Regional Studies 38 , 977-989. La théorie de la croissance endogène souligne le rôle des retombées de connaissance dans la croissance macroéconomique mais ne considère pas la dimension régionale, bien qu'il y ait bien des preuves dans la documentation récente de l'économie empirique en faveur de la localisation d'une part non-négligeable des retombées de connaissance. La documentation de la nouvelle géographie économique développe ce cadre en indiquant l'interaction entre les retombées et l'agglomération, et la croissance régionale cumulée qui en résulte, mais, jusqu'aux années récentes, on n'a pas considéré la dimension macroéconomique. Cet article cherche à aller plus loin dans le but d'examiner de façon empirique le rôle des facteurs technologiques localisés qui influencent la croissance macroéconomique. On laisse supposer que non seulement la transformation technologique mais aussi la structure économique géographique devraient être traitées de façon endogène dans les modèles de la croissance économique. On soutient que la structure géographique toute particulière de l'économie s'avère un facteur clé dans la croissance macroéconomique. Afin de le démontrer, une modélisation empirique se voit développer qui relie un modèle de la production de la connaissance localisée à un modèle macroéconométrique entier, et applique des données pour la Hongrie à des études concrètes. Varga A. und Schalk H. J. (2004) Verbreitung von Fachkenntnissen, Agglomeration und makroökonomisches Wachstum: ein empirischer Ansatz, Regional Studies 38 , 977-989. Die endogene Wachstumstheorie betont die Rolle der Verbreitung von Fachkenntnissen bei makroökonomischem Wachstum, jedoch ohne die regionale Dimension zu berücksichtigen, obwohl die kürzlich erschienene Literatur der europäischen Wirtschaftswissenschaft überzeugende Beweise dafür geliefert hat, daß ein signifkanter Bruchteil der Verbreitung von Fachkenntnissen dazu tendiert, auf wenige Orte begrenzt zu sein. Die Literatur der Neuen Wirtschaftsgeographie erweitert ihren Rahmen, indem sie auf das Zusammenspiel von Verbreitung von Fachkenntnissen und Agglomeration verweist, und auf das sich daraus ergebende Gesamtwachstum in einer Region, das jedoch bis vor kurzem nicht in die makroökonomische Dimension miteinbezogen wurde. Dieser Aufsatz geht einen Schtritt weiter in Richtung empirischer Untersuchung der Rolle örtlich begrenzte Faktoren technologischen Wandels auf dem Gebiete makroökonomischen Wachstums. Err legt nahe, daß nicht nur technologischer Wandel, sondern auch räumliche Wirtschaftsstruktur endogen behandelt werden sollte. Die Autoren treten dafür ein, daß die ihr eigene räumliche Struktur einer Wirtschaft einen wichtigen Faktor bei makroökonomischem Wachstum darstellt. Um dies zu demonstrieren, wird ein empirischer Modellrahmen enwickelt, der ein Modell örtlich begrenzten Erwerbens von Fachkenntnissen mit einem kompletten makroönomischen Modell verknüpft, und sich bei Untersuchungen konkreter Fälle ungarischer Daten bedient. Varga A. y Schalk H. J. (2004) Desbordamientos de conocimento, aglomeración y crecimiento macroeconómico: un efoque empírico, Regional Studies 38 , 977-989. La teoría de crecimiento endógeno enfatiza el rol que los desbordamientos de conocimiento tienen en el crecimiento macroeconómico pero no incluye la dimensión regional, aunque la literatura reciente sobre economía empírica ha ofrecido una evidencia sustancial acerca de que una fracción significativa de los desbordamientos de conocimiento tiende a estar localizada. La literatura en torno a la nueva geografía económica extiende este marco señalando la interacción entre los desbordamientos y la aglomeración y el crecimiento regional cumulativo resultante, pero hasta hace poco no incluía la dimensión macroeconómica. Nuestro artículo nos lleva un paso más adelante a investigar empíricamente el rol que los factores localizados del cambio tecnológico tieaen en el crecimiento macroeconómico. Se sugiere que no sólo el cambio tecnológico sino también la estructura económica espacial deberían tratarse endógenamente en los modelos de crecimiento económico. Nosotros argumentamos que la particular estructura espacial de la economía es un factor importante en el crecimiento macroecónomico. Con el propósito de demostrarlo se desarrolla un marco de modelación empírica que vincula un modelo de producción localizada de conocimento con un modelo macroenómico completo y aplica datos de Hungría a investigaciones concretas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of geographic information system (GIS) techniques for rigorous analysis of regional inequality in China remains limited. In this article, the authors utilize recent data and GIS and spatial statistical techniques to analyze changing patterns of regional inequality in China from 1978 to 2000. It also identifies the changing clusters of regional development in China. They illustrate that regional inequality in China is sensitive to development trajectories of the provinces, and that conventional measures of regional inequality mask geographical clustering.

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R ICE P. and V ENABLES A. J. (2003) Equilibrium regional disparities: theory and British evidence, Reg. Studies 37 , 675-686. Regional inequalities in many countries, including the UK, are large and persistent. They show up in a number of economic variables, most of them endogenous, making it difficult for the researcher to identify the underlying causes of the disparities. This paper uses sub-regional data for Great Britain to identify spatial patterns of disparities. It then compares these patterns with those predicted by a theoretical model under a number of alternative hypotheses about the underlying cause of the disparities. The approach lays the groundwork for theory based econometric modelling of the causes of regional inequalities. R ICE P. et V ENABLES A. J. (2003) Déséquilibres régionaux: la théorie et les preuves britanniques, Reg. Studies 37 , 675-686. Dans beaucoup de pays, y compris la Grande-Bretagne, les inégalités sont importantes et persistantes. Elles se manifestent à partir de nombreuses variables économiques, dont la plupart sont endogènes, ce qui le rend difficile pour le chercheur d'identifier les causes sous-jacentes des inégalités. Cet article se sert des données infrarégionales pour la Grande-Bretagne afin d'identifier la distribution géographique des inégalités. Puis on cherche à comparer ces distributions à celles qui sont prévues par un modè le théorique sous quelques hypothèses alternatifs sur les causes sous- jacentes des inégalités. Cette façon fait le travail pré paratoire pour une modélisation économétrique des causes des inégalités régionales basée sur des thé ories. R ICE P. und V ENABLES A. J. (2003) Gleichgewicht und regionale Ungleichheiten. Theorie und Beweise aus Großbritannien, Reg. Studies 37 , 675-686. In vielen Ländern, einschließlich des UK, gibt es große und anhaltende regionale Ungleichheiten. Sie treten in Form zahlreicher wirtschaftlicher Veränderlicher auf, die meisten endogen; das erschwert es dem Forscher, herauszufinden, was den Ungleichheiten zugrunde liegt. Dieser Aufsatz stützt sich auf Daten von Teilregionen Großbritannier's, um räumliche Muster von Ungleichheiten herauszustellen. Anschließend werden diese Muster mit jenen verglichen, die ein theoretisches Modell von einer Anzahl alternativer Hypothesen über die zugrunde liegenden Ursachen der Ungleichheiten vorausgesagt hatte. Der Ansatz legt den Grundstein für auf Theorie gestützte ökonometrische Modelle der Ursachen regionaler Ungleichheiten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cluster concept has assumed a prominent position in the institutional approaches which have been applied in economic geography in recent times. Although there are numerous analyses based on the cluster concept, no agreement has been reached to date on suitable methods for analysis and comparison of regional clusters. This paper presents a research design for the analysis of regional production clusters which employs the network analysis method to develop, in particular, the 'quality analysis' of clusters, using the film industry production cluster in Potsdam/Babelsberg (adjacent to the Berlin metropolis) as a practical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents findings of leading researchers on the questions related to economic geography and the factors that promote regional growth. Role of research institutions in promoting local economic growth; Cooperative activities of firms in contributing to the economic growth; Relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth.