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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 Ayer: Revista de Historia Contemporánea is the property of Asociacion de Historia Contemporanea 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 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.)

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]

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]

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]

The main objective of this work was to test European regional determinants of sports competitiveness. We studied competitiveness in volleyball, basketball and handball. We developed a theoretical model based on the model proposed by Bernard and Busse (2004) to analyse the effect of regional institutions and sport environments that can interfere with sports competitiveness. To test our model, we constructed an enlarged database for all European NUTS2 since 1995, which we analysed using panel data techniques (censored Tobit models). Our results reveal that the regions that are able to maintain player performance do so by persistent effort and external influences. These factors contribute more to regional competitiveness than a region’s central location or political prominence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a growing research interest in the relationship between the composition of regional knowledge bases and the extra-regional collaborative ties maintained by actors during their development work. To investigate this relationship, we use patent data to characterize European NUTS 3 regions by their (i) comparative technological specializations; and (ii) related technological variety. We find domestic, extra-regional collaboration to be negatively associated with regional technological specialization and related technological variety. At the same time, we find related technological variety to serve in support of international innovation collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed rail (HSR) can potentially transform the geography of a country, bringing regions and cities closer to each other by improving accessibility. Such benefits in turn can be the basis for creating (regional) economic development, and this is often a major factor in promoting the higher costs of HSR investment. The key factors here concern the role and position of HSR in the local, regional and national transport systems, and this may be more important than the speed of the service. Two factors are central to the planning of HSR lines. The first relates to the numbers and locations of stations on the HSR network, and the second to how these stations are integrated into the rest of the transport network. This paper reviews current financing and trends in European rail travel, concentrating on the recent developments in HSR. It then addresses these two issues of station location and integration across connecting transport services. Rail has an increasingly important role to play in providing mobility between the major cities in Europe, and it is likely to provide much of the necessary capacity for the expected growth in long distance travel. A dedicated HSR network might be a good option to achieve this role, but such a network needs to be planned as the strategic backbone of the transport system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standard economic growth models generally consider different factors of production such as land, capital, labour, technology and human capital. These are common in theoretical models and empirical applications but more evidence is still needed for their long-term regional evolution. Therefore, this paper traces the evolution of specific aspects of these factors in the European regions and cities by means of different proxies. The data have been collected and calculated from a wide range of diverse historical and spatial data bases. A particular feature is the definition of the European regions according to the NUTS classification by the European Union. Thus, the paper gives a rough outline of some of the most important long-term regional tendencies that should be taken into account in research directed to past and recent time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For elaboration of strategy and spatial planning of sustainable coastal regions development it's very important to know a real potential of development of the region. As parameter, which is comprehensively characterized marine economic, political and military power of the coastal region, it is possible to use the marine economy potential with comprehensive estimations of socio-economic, political, environment and military profits (damages) from coastal planning decisions. Some results, including the European and Russian coastal regions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contains a research into the agricultural clusters of the EU. The clusters are identified on the level of NUTS1 regions. The agricultural clusters are identified by main type of farming and by their contribution to the regional gross value added. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we summarize recent research on the effects of European regional policy. Results point to a positive effect of this policy on average. One Euro spent even tends to generate more than one Euro in return in terms of GDP. However, the response varies drastically across recipient regions. First of all, there is evidence of existence of an optimum fun ding ratio (funds allocated relative to recipient GDP) where one Euro invested generates one Euro of return. About 36 percent of the regions receive higher funding than that, where one Euro generates less than one Euro of return (and, eventually, no return at all). Second, there is evidence of a bigger return on inves tment in regions with hi gher absorptive capacity level -- measured by human capital endowments and the quality of recipient institutions. Insufficient levels of absorptive capacity lead to a wash of the Union's transfers. About 70 percent of the regions exhibit such an insufficient level of absorptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu 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 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was a profound exogenous shock which has had profound impacts the performance of national economies and the regions within them. The differential outcomes are vast. In many parts of the world there is evidence of what is being referred to as the 'two-speed' economy - or even a 'multi-speed' - economy. This has implications for regional economic development theory in which, over the last two to three decades, there has been an increasing emphasis on endogenous growth with much of the emphasis in regional policy focusing on the roles of leadership and institutional factors to harness improved capability for regions to better utilize their resource endowments. However, shocks such as the GFC change the relative influences of exogenous and endogenous processes in regional development and performance, and the 'two-speed'/'multi-speed' economy phenomenon is posing a challenge for how we conceptualize and practice regional development. The contrasting empirical contexts for discussing the impacts of the GFC are the US, Europe and Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge-intensive services (KIS) are assuming an increasing importance in innovation, to such an extent that they have even classified as "key agents" within innovation systems (Fischer, 2001). As one of the major features of KIS is coproduction, location is expected to play a significant role on the effects of KIS on regional innovation systems. The objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between the location of KIS and the innovation performance of the European regions. Starting from the results reached by previous studies: Makun and McPherson (1997) for three New York regions, Muller and Zenker (1998) for five German and French regions, Drejer and Vinding (2003) for Danish urban areas or Simmie and Strambach (2006) for large cities of England and Germany, our aim is to widen the traditional scope of the analysis and evaluate the relationship between location of KIS and innovation performance on an European basis. More concretely we try to show that the spatial concentration of KIS in some regions (and particular in capital cities) contributes to foster innovation. To do so we carry out an exploratory spatial analysis for more than 100 European regions. We take as a proxy for the location of KIS the share of employment in KIS in every region. The results obtained support the hypothesis that KIS exert a positive impact on regional innovation performance, an impact that could spill over into the neighbouring regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial education is creating substantial changes for organizations throughout the world special after the economic crises. Creating an innovative environment, stimulating start-ups through access to finance and providing advice, information and expertise, represent fertile local grounds for business ideas and better performance of regional economies. The primary purpose of entrepreneurship education is to develop entrepreneurial capacities and mindsets. A key objective of Europe 2020 is the objective of investing in research and development 3% of GDP, especially by providing more favorable conditions for private investment and establishing a new indicator for innovation. The article is structured in four parts: the concept of entrepreneurial education, universities and business environment; the methodological approach - case study, entrepreneurship education, solutions that can be developed and the conclusion. Our specific focus is to demonstrate that teaching of entrepreneurship has yet to be sufficiently integrated into university curricula - indeed it is necessary to make entrepreneurship education accessible to all students as innovative business ideas may arise from technical, scientific or creative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social & Economic Revue is the property of Alexander Dubcek University of Trencin, Faculty of Social & Economic Relations 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 considers the work of the European Cluster Observatory (ECO) in light of current debates around the notion of clusters. Examining the definitions employed by the ECO, questions are posed about how effective policy can be when using highly restrictive means of analysis. Further, the work contends that, far from this being purely an analytical problem, there also exists a fundamental semantic issue regarding the term ‘economic cluster’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising focus of politicians as well as scientists in the EU on the large urban agglomerations as centres of economic growth is accompanied by political efforts to identify and to demarcate such agglomerations under the label ‘metropolitan regions’. This study develops a theoretical framework broaching the issue of cooperation between municipalities from the perspective of regional economics as well as political science. The framework is applied to the empirical case of the polycentric metropolitan region of the ‘Saxony triangle’ in east Germany. The results show that various intervening factors prevent intense co-operation between the actors in the region. Policy implications and conclusions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, we test the creativity and diversity hypothesis of Richard Florida for European regions. Florida argues that the level of regional economic development depends on the levels of technology, talent, and tolerance that regions harbour. Tolerance, in this case, is a measure for diversity of lifestyles, the creativity that results from it and population's openness towards non-traditional lifestyles. Using data for 94 European regions we investigate whether differences in creativity and diversity are a good predictor of differences in regional wealth in additive and multiplicative regression models. The results indicate that regional differences in diversity are directly related to differences in regional wealth. Moreover, we find that the synergetic effect of technology and talent on the level of regional wealth depends on the degree of diversity that resides within regions. Our findings support the idea that creativity and diversity deserve a more prominent place in economic geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Knowledge-based Economy spatial distribution across the European Union (EU) regions (NUTS II), linking recent research approaches on innovation and structural change with approaches to regional economics. As a means of conducting this research, we classify economic activities according to six sectors based on their knowledge/technology intensity. Our results show that the higher the knowledge/technology content of the economic activity, the higher the concentration level of the activity. We find that some service activities (those considered knowledge intensive) have similar concentration levels to those operating in high or medium tech manufacturing. With regard to specialization, the most outstanding result is the strong presence of high and medium knowledge intensive service activities in metropolitan/capital regions. In general, our results reinforce the notion that an oligocentric model persists in Europe, with the southern German regions leading high and medium tech manufacturing, the south-east of England leading in high knowledge-intensive services, and with the mid-core model exemplified by the European metropolitan archipelago (particularly capital cities) in both northern and southern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurial attitude are substantial and persistent across nations and regions. However, studies on entrepreneurship that encompass regions and countries at the same time are lacking. This paper explains both national and regional differences in entrepreneurial attitude and activity for 127 regions in 17 European countries, based on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data. We reveal the importance of institutional factors and economic and demographic attributes to variations in regional entrepreneurial attitude and activity. Our findings point at the relevance of distinguishing between components of entrepreneurial attitudes, i.e. fear of failure in starting business, perceptions on start-up opportunities and self-assessment of personal capabilities to start a firm. We find different determinants of these components, suggesting that they reflect different aspects of entrepreneurial attitude. In explaining regional prevalence rates of phases in entrepreneurial activity (nascent, baby business, established business) we find significant contributions of entrepreneurial attitude components. Urban regions and regions with high levels of nearby start-up examples show relatively high rates of early-stage entrepreneurship. A large number of start-up procedures does not discourage early-stage entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic geographers and regional economists have long been concerned with the problems provoked by uneven regional development and the ways by which policy intervention may be able to reduce such inequalities. However, in recent years the traditional argument for seeking to secure a reduction in the spatial concentration of economic activity in particular regions has been questioned and in some cases it has been suggested that policies that try to reduce regional economic inequalities may even reduce national efficiency. This article examines the evidence for a link between growth in productivity and the degree of spatial agglomeration across the nations of Europe. In doing so it considers how spatial agglomeration should be measured and how the relationship between agglomeration and the growth of productivity can be modelled. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a theoretical growth model that extends the Mankiw-Romer-Weil (MRW) model by accounting for technological interdependence among regional economies. Interdependence is assumed to work through spatial externalities caused by disembodied knowledge diffusion. The transition from theory to econometrics leads to a reduced-form empirical spatial Durbin model specification that explains the variation in regional levels of per worker output at steady state. A system of 198 regions across 22 European countries over the period from 1995 to 2004 is used to empirically test the model. Testing is performed by assessing the importance of cross-region technological interdependence and measuring direct and indirect (spillover) effects of the MRW determinants on regional output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does regionalism negatively impact non-members? To answer this question, we examine the effect of regional trade agreements (RTAs) on imports from non-members and the tariffs that they face. Using data from six RTAs in Latin America and Europe, we do not find evidence that implementation of the regional agreements is associated with trade diversion from third countries to regional members. Using detailed industry data on preference margins and most-favoured nation (MFN) tariffs for three trade agreements in Latin America over 12 years, we find that greater preference margins do not significantly reduce imports from third countries. We also look at the effect of preferences on external tariffs. We find evidence that preferential tariff reduction tends to precede the reduction of external MFN tariffs in a given sector, offering evidence of tariff complementarity. Overall, the results suggest that regionalism does not significantly harm non-members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early modern times, the Netherlands imported grain from the Baltic, especially Poland, and re-exported it elsewhere in Europe. The Dutch shipping industry was extremely profitable, for transport costs were very high, and the number of Dutch ships was by far the largest among the European countries. Dutch prosperity was based on shipping of grain from the Baltic. Amsterdam was also a center of information because it was a port at which many ships stayed, and which attracted various merchants owing to its policy of religious tolerance. Much commercial information and know-how were accumulated in and spread from Amsterdam which contributed to the growth of the regional European economy from the Baltic because many merchants migrated to Northern Europe via the city, bringing with them the latest commercial techniques. Amsterdam therefore served as a core of Baltic integration in the early modern period, for it was a center of shipping and information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the importance of technology adoption has been acknowledged, nevertheless, at a more general level, a critical question arises: what is the implication of a 'low' or a 'high' adoptive ability for regional convergence? A model is developed in which the pattern of convergence is attributed to the rate of technological adoption across regions. According this model convergence towards leading regions is feasible only for regions with a sufficient ability to adopt technology. A scheme of measurement is developed to calibrate this argument and data for the EU27 NUTS-2 regions for period 1995-2006 are used to develop an empirical analysis of the processes and conditions that have been hypothesised as generating differential regional economic change. The results suggest that adoption of technology has a significant effect on regional growth patterns in Europe, and hence the analysis has important implications for the direction of regional policy in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does culture have a causal effect on economic development? The data on European regions suggest that it does. Culture is measured by indicators of individual values and beliefs, such as trust and respect for others, and confidence in individual self determination. To isolate the exogenous variation in culture, we rely on two historical variables used as instruments: the literacy rate at the end of the 19th century, and the political institutions in place over the past several centuries. The political and social history of Europe provides a rich source of variation in these two variables at a regional level. The exogenous component of culture due to history is strongly correlated with current regional economic development, after controlling for contemporaneous education, urbanization rates around 1850, and national effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does inequality matter for regional growth? This paper addresses this question, using regionally aggregated microeconomic data for more than 100,000 individuals over a period of 6 years. The aim is to examine the relationship between income and educational distribution and regional economic growth in western Europe. Our results indicate that, given existing levels of inequality, an increase in a region’s income and educational inequality has a significant positive association with subsequent economic growth. Educational achievement is positively correlated with economic growth, but the impact of initial income levels is unclear. Finally, the results suggest that inequalities in educational attainment levels matter more for economic performance than average educational attainment. The above findings are not only robust to the definition of income distribution, but also across inequality measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional financial arrangements and monetary integration in East Asia and Europe have made considerable progress in recent years. This paper discusses whether governments in both regions, Japan and Germany as the most advanced regional economies in particular, can use the new dynamics as levers to raise their status vis-à-vis the United States. It will be argued that activities are defensive rather than offensive, aiming at protecting the respective region from financial risk. Japan, in particular, would find it difficult to raise its status vis-à-vis the United States significantly by promoting regional financial and monetary integration, principal reasons being actor heterogeneity, the role of China, hesitation to bear burden and risk, and the historical legacy of a bank-oriented system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the controversial issue of regional development incentives. Although extensive research has been conducted, a review of the literature gives an inconclusive answer to whether economic incentives are effective. Why do researchers arrive at different conclusions, even after analysing the same programmes? Among the problems that we find, for example, is the fact that for some researchers ‘effective’ means the significant location of new firms in targeted areas, while for others the creation of jobs regardless of whether new firms are arriving in a significant fashion. Furthermore, as we elaborate, the selection of an econometric model will have a significant impact on expected results. Different models, with different limitations, will lead researchers to evaluate the same incentive programme but arrive at different conclusions regarding its effectiveness. The contribution of the paper is to inform policymakers about the potential opportunities and pitfalls when designing incentive strategies. This is particularly relevant, given that both the US and Europe have been promoting incentives as a tool for regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concepts such as ‘reciprocity,’ ‘embeddedness,’ and ‘social capital’ have been the main tools for description and analysis of social relations sustaining economic activities in areas defined as regional economies or industrial districts, becoming models for successful development in Europe. Historicizing these concepts, stressing the concrete political agendas of the scholars who produced them, reveals them as paradoxical in that, though they are abstract, their main force lies in their social, cultural, historical, and spatial situatedness. This situation points to the awkwardness of ‘ethnographic realism’ and the need for a kind of ‘reflexive historical realism’ to enhance viable anthropological communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Intellectual Economics is the property of Intellectual Economics / Mykolas Romeris University 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.)

In this paper we contribute to the longstanding discussion on the role of knowledge to economic growth in a spatial context. We observe that in adopting the European policy strategy towards a competitive knowledge economy, the Netherlands is—as most European countries—mainly oriented towards industrial, technological factors. The policy focus is on R&D specialized regions in their spatial economic strategies. We place the knowledge economy in a broader perspective. Based on the knowledge economy literature, we value complementary indicators: the successful introduction of new products and services to the market (“innovation”) and indicators of skills of employees (“knowledge workers”). Using econometric analysis, we relate the three factors “R&D”, “innovation” and “knowledge workers” to regional economic growth. We conclude that the factors “innovation” and “knowledge workers” are more profoundly related to urban employment and productivity growth than the R&D-factor. Preferably, urban research and policy-makers should therefore take all three knowledge factors into account when determining economic potentials of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of regional integration as a system of conflict resolution. It identifies key referents that integration and conflict resolution have in common such as functionalist foundations, the integrative capacity of conflict, actors and a causal mechanism of outcome creation based on compromise. The peace-building effects of European integration are examined.

Regional economic inequalities are increasing in most of the European Union (EU) member states, while between-nation inequalities in the enlarged Europe are declining in the last years. The economic differences between East and West Europe are gradually diminishing and the EU is becoming a relatively homogeneous economic, legal, and political field, which promotes social and economic cohesion in Europe (at a rate of approximately 2 per cent per year). Most of the regional economic inequalities are already inequalities within nations. The economic and income inequalities in the enlarged EU can be largely explained by different regional employment patterns, industrial structures and the region's location within the European space: central urban regions with a good research and traffic infrastructure, qualified employees, a high employment rate and knowledge-intensive services are the best predictors for high income levels. The slow convergence process in the enlarged EU may not increase popular support for the European integration process because the most important frame of reference is still the nation-state where regional inequalities are increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many argue that transgenic technology will have wide-ranging implications for farmers in developing nations. A key concern is that competencies may be destroyed by predominantly foreign multinational transgenic technologies, exacerbating problems of social exclusion in the case of subsistence farmers. Conversely, those that fail to adopt the technology may become uncompetitive, particularly in commodity-based export markets. Drawing on interview data conducted in Brazil and supporting data collected in North America, Europe and China, we found that the impact of transgenic technology varies. It has less impact on farmers that adapt the products to their crop systems and environment, and greater negative implications for less formally educated subsistence farmers in consequence of both complexity and compatibility. Earlier attempts at industrializing agriculture through technological innovation led to vastly improved agricultural output and exports, but the benefits of productivity was not equitably distributed [D. Lee: , American Journal of Agricultural Economics 87(5), 1325–1334], nor was it designed to meet specific local environmental and socioeconomic farmer conditions, exacerbating social exclusion. Multinationals attempting to introduce transgenic technology without considering the broader social and ethical implications will invite resistance. We discuss the implications for policy makers, multinationals and small-scale farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profound and unique institutional and economic processes which characterise the historic period Europe is facing and will face call for appropriate methodologies to forecast the impact of these processes on Europe and its territory. Few regional econometric models as the basis of forecasting exercises have been developed, either replicating national macroeconomic models, or through complex systems of equations for each region that are linked to both the national aggregate economy and to the other regional economies through input—output technical coefficients that determine intra- and inter-regional trade and output. This paper presents a new regional forecasting model, labelled MASST (macroeconomic, sectoral, social and territorial), built on a modern conceptualization of regional growth. In MASST, regional growth is conceived as a competitive, endogenous and cumulative process in which social and a spatial elements play an important role: local resource endowments and increasing returns in the form of agglomeration economies and spatial growth spillovers perform an important role in the explanation of regional growth differentials. MASST is generative in nature, since local factors matter, but it is also a model that considers a second family of development factors, these being macroeconomic and national. This structure of the model gives rise to the possibility of producing an efficient interactive national—regional approach, combining top-down and bottom-up approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study a cross section of 54 European regions. The central question is whether regional differences in economic growth are related to social capital, in the form of generalized trust and associational activity. Substantiated by extensive robustness tests, we present evidence that growth differentials in European regions are positively related to social capital measured as associational activity. Hence, our results suggest that the thesis of Putnam et al. (1993) thesis on social capital in Italian regions can be generalized. Our analysis also suggests that it is not the mere existence of network relationships that stimulates regional economic growth, but active involvement in these relationships. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]