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Purpose: The aim of the paper is to identify the degree of diversity of entrepreneurship at the micro spatial level in a peripheral region. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a quantitative approach. Hellwig’s linear ordering method was used to test the research hypotheses. The analysis is based on data from the Bank of Local Data of the Central Statistical Office for all of the 71 municipalities (NUTS-5) from the Opolskie Voivodeship, Poland, for the years 2015, 2020 and 2022. Findings: The results of ranking municipalities on the basis of the Hellwig's aggregate measure, the classification of municipalities according to their level of entrepreneurship and the analysis of micro spatial distribution of this level in the region provide evidence that entrepreneurship varies in a peripheral region, with the level of entrepreneurship likely to shift between within a short time span. Research limitations/implications: Although the paper provides an insight into the degree of diversity of entrepreneurship at the micro spatial level in a peripheral region, it is limited to data from certain years. Therefore, it may not allow to observe plausible changes in the level of entrepreneurship that may occur over time. In order to provide more comprehensive insights, further analysis should be done using a dynamic approach, based on data covering the entire period 2015-2022. In addition, the results of the ranking are likely to be sensitive to the variables used to construct the Hellwig’s aggregate measure. It is therefore advisable to test the hypothesis with different sets of variables. It would also be interesting to examine the extent to which the level of entrepreneurship is determined by the regional micro-spatial distribution of factors affecting entrepreneurial activity. Practical implications: The results for a peripheral region can provide a basis for practitioners and policy-makers to develop and implement solutions for a type-specific entrepreneurial policy across micro-spatial locations. Originality/value: The article contributes to the recent literature on regional entrepreneurship by exploring the ways in which entrepreneurship is different in a micro-spatial peripheral environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rozwój Regionalny & Polityka Regionalna is the property of Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza (IH UAM) 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.)

Abstract Background Demographic development in rural and urban areas differs substantially. Demographics and access to specialized head and neck cancer centers may affect head and neck cancer patients' (HNCP) outcomes. Here, we compare epidemiological indicators and outcomes of HNCP in rural and urban Germany. Patients and Methods In a retrospective analysis of data from the Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD) between 2002 and 2017, 212,920 HNCP were included. Incidence, demographics, travel distance to specialized centers, and ground values were compared between rural and urban areas with a focus on their association with patient outcomes. Results The mean age of HNCP was significantly higher in urban areas (mean difference = 1.4 years; p

Background: Demographic development in rural and urban areas differs substantially. Demographics and access to specialized head and neck cancer centers may affect head and neck cancer patients' (HNCP) outcomes. Here, we compare epidemiological indicators and outcomes of HNCP in rural and urban Germany. Patients and Methods: In a retrospective analysis of data from the Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD) between 2002 and 2017, 212,920 HNCP were included. Incidence, demographics, travel distance to specialized centers, and ground values were compared between rural and urban areas with a focus on their association with patient outcomes. Results: The mean age of HNCP was significantly higher in urban areas (mean difference = 1.4 years; p < 0.0001), but increased at a comparable rate (p = 0.26) in rural and urban areas during the observation period. Gender imbalance was higher in rural areas (mean ratio of men/women: 4.1 vs. 3.1; p < 0.0001), but showed a comparable trend toward equilibration in both, rural and urban districts (p = 0.46). The portion of HNCP of the entire HNCP population living in urban areas increased from 55.9% in the year 2002 to 76.4% in the year 2017. There was no significant difference or change in the ratio of advanced to low UICC stage during the observation period (p = 0.26). However, travel distances to medical centers were higher in rural areas, especially (p < 0.0001) in East Germany. Median survival of HNCP in rural areas was significantly lower than in urban areas (42 months [SEM = 0.7; CI: 40.5–43.5] vs. 54 months [SEM = 1.2; CI: 51.7–56.3]; p < 0.0001) in East Germany, whereas in West Germany no significant difference was observed (59 months [SEM = 0.8; CI: 57.4–60.6] vs. 60 months [SEM = 0.5; CI: 59.0–61.0]; p = 0.15). Conclusions: Place of residence contributes to survival outcome of HNCP. Access to specialized care and socioeconomic factors could be improved in East Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the development of a new industry, namely the brewing industry, in the peripheral region of Southeastern Quebec. Its objective is to understand and describe the main activities of the microbreweries and to detect their contribution to the development of Southeastern Quebec, namely the Lower‐Saint‐Lawrence and the Gaspé peninsula‐Magdelen islands regions. The results of our analysis allow us to shed new light on the contribution of this industry to the development of these two regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

his study investigates the extent and nature of cooperative links between businesses in the analysed administrative units (communes) in peripheral regions in terms of their effect on strengthening the resilience of local economy. Empirical research was carried out in 2018 in three peripheral regions of Poland on a sample of 240 entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs participated in creating local (commune-level) supply chains while reporting connections with suppliers outside of local systems. Businesses analysed in this study played a key role in enhancing the diversity of local (commune-level) goods and services markets while time taking into account their customers’ requirements. Local cooperation promoted strengthening of the competitive edge of cooperating businesses, becoming a local resilience factor. The characteristics of cooperative links presented in the study revealed that the benefits of local cooperation were appreciated more often in the group of businesses with inferior conditions for running and growing a business. Local economic growth policies in peripheral regions should take into account the assumptions arising from the smart village concept. A vital component of these policies in the context of fostering local innovativeness is the focus on the possibility of stimulating cooperation processes within local business sectors. Such focus of local policies may be seen as aimed at enhancing the resilience of local socio-economic systems.

In this paper, we identify the patterns of change agency in peripheral regions and the forces shaping them. The following are the main research questions: (a) what are the patterns of local change agency like in peripheral regions and (b) what causes patterns of local change agency? We seek answers to these questions by carrying out a detailed analysis of trinity of change agency in Lapland, Finland. We show how the pattern of it evolves in time, and how, in a crisis, new modes of agency surface and key actors need to learn new ways of intervening. Change agents need to build confidence and mobilize resources, capabilities and power. The empirical study follows a longitudinal single case study design. The empirical data were based on 15 interviews of the national and local/regional development agencies as well as from firms and research/educational organizations. Additionally, the written material from the Internet, relevant journals, related newspaper articles and respective policy documents were analysed. The empirical analysis identifies the main phases of path development in Eastern Lapland, key actors in different phases and their agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists 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.)

Small towns' functions are exposed to pressure stemming from globalization and metropolitan development. In North-East Poland, the study area, they are at the same time affected by the restructuring of rural economy. As in other peripheral regions in Europe, they are subject to de-population trends. The analysis of socioeconomic functions performed by small towns reveals functional polarization - a division line between local service centers and those towns additionally performing specialized functions. Whereas some towns succeed in sustaining, or attracting, often niche type industrial and service activities, others remain to rely upon the provision of private and public services for the surrounding rural places. By referring to R. Camagni's conceptualization of territorial competitiveness, the role of selected territorial capital components - local entrepreneurship, social capital and local leadership is identified in the observed development of socio-economic functions of supra-local market range. The findings reveal the focusing, by the successful local firms upon the specificity of market offer, its linking with local tradition, skills, and natural resources. On the conceptual side, at a town level, they indicate the importance of mutual interlocking of individual endogenous factors in the development and the sustenance of competitive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Czech Republic ranks among the countries with a strong tradition of home food self-provisioning. In this article, we focused our attention specifically to the traditional and frequently neglected phenomenon of rural self-provisioning while newly introducing a data-based analysis of the phenomenon in two areas, i.e., suburbs and peripheries of the South Moravian region. Unlike the research carried out in the CR or EU to date, our survey aims exclusively at the analysis of households with access to land, which allow a more detailed scrutiny of growing a wide range of commodities, the attitudes to it and its perspectives. The results of the field study carried out in 178 rural households in two types of South Moravian regions (suburban and peripheral) from 2017 show the regional differences in food self-provisioning. They also contribute to a better understanding of a phenomenon whose variability within a rural territory is quite known a little. Even though the suburban and peripheral regions have very comparable natural conditions and opportunities of growing crops (a similar type of estate, nearly the same size of the gardens surveyed), we can observe rather remarkable differences, especially in the extent of the areas being farmed and in the scale of breeding domesticated animals (work demanding activities). Compared to that, only negligible differences were found in growing commodities demanding less work (fruit and tomato growing). The identified differences in attitudes to self-provisioning in the observed regions (depending on the varied types of population in the regions) allow for analysing the perspectives of particular self-provisioning activities both in South Moravia and the CR on the whole.

Entrepreneurs in peripheral areas need to fully utilize a multidimensional regional environment in order to reduce regional innovation gaps. To gain a deeper theoretical and empirical understanding of the determinants of innovation processes in peripheral areas, this article sheds light not only on hard infrastructure and financial factors, but also on institutional, social, and relational factors. Studies of innovation in peripheral areas were conducted with the classic concept of regional innovation systems. Based on the results of a survey among 300 entrepreneurs in Polish peripheral regions, it was found that peripheral regions suffer from a deficit of human and social capital, particularly local leaders and mentoring and networking assistance. In addition, the analysis shows that peripheral regions do not have an effective innovation development strategy, lack institutional capital, and local authorities are not working to remove local barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial clusters in peripheral regions: The case of marine biotechnology in Rimouski (Québec) As an important tool of economic development policies, regional clusters have often been presented (rightly or wrongly) as the most suitable environment for stimulating innovation and the competitiveness of firms and regions. The objective of this article is to study the phenomenon of industrial clusters in peripheral regions, basing our study on the case of marine biotechnology in Rimouski. To do this, we describe the structure and the functioning of the cluster and analyze how the dynamics of innovation result from processes and interactions that take place at different spatial scales. Finally, we explore how this case study sheds light on the theory related to clusters and the development of peripheral regions. In addition, we discuss how the case of marine biotechnologies in Rimouski illustrates the difficulty of a cluster to emerge in a peripheral context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores how industrial development can occur in a peripheral region through the gradual development of strategic coherence between organisations, materiality, and agency. In a longitudinal case study of how the mechatronics industry became a main area for regional development spanning 50 years in the region of Agder in Norway, the authors have followed how national and regional innmovation policies, individual actors, and organisational strategies eventually flow together and influence organisations and firms to collaborate towards new and shared aims. In the paper, the authors perform field theory analysis, with emphasis on the significance of the development of reciprocal relations between institutions, understood as authorities, businesses, and universities, and strategic agency within and between strategic action fields. They question how industrial development in a peripheral region can be understood through a strategic action fields framework. The findings reveal that development of the industry spanned the evolution from small-scale entrepreneurial engineering activities in the 1960s to a regional innovation system and National Centre of Excellence with global knowledge hub ambitions in the 2010s. In conclusion, the analysis shows how mechatronics achieved a central role in regional development through common action between previously decoupled academic and industrial strategic action fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the important issue concerning that small towns and villages play an important role in the development of many European regions, not only from the point of view of agricultural function, but also due to the preservation of identity and heritage as well as social relations and management of spatial structures. On the other hand, in small towns and villages, there are growing problems related to the migration of people to big cities, leaving farms and villages. Progressive unemployment is observed, especially in peripheral areas. The research question is: what are the similarities and differences of social and spatial relations between small towns and surrounding villages in the selected countries? The article aims to present the interface between social and spatial relationships in small towns and surrounding villages in the context of analyzing the potential of rural areas and models for their development. Authors compared the specificity of small towns and villages of selected regions of Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The following methods were used in the research: analysis and synthesis of literature and documents (legal and strategic), descriptive method, secondary data analysis, comparative method, visual data representation, case study.

Sustainable tourism is one of the key sectors in the South Baltic Sea Region (SBSR), which belongs to the role model for sustainability—the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). In this context, resilience, recovery and sustainability become key common threads calling for new approaches mitigating negative impacts, upscaling resilience capacity and boosting recovery in the post-pandemic era. The present work aims at revealing conceptual and practical pathways for policy makers and businesses in revitalizing sustainable tourism in the region by emphasizing cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as strong contributors to sustainable development and economic ecosystems, such as tourism. Tourism is also one of the key thematic areas of the smart specialization strategies (S3) in the SBSR. However, there is almost no link between CCIs' potential for sustainable and resilient tourism and their contribution to the co-design and co-creation of S3. CCIs are rather absent agents in quadruple helix networks supporting S3 policy implementation. The literature on this topic is still premature, and represents a clear gap in knowledge. By virtue of these circumstances, the present research investigates how CCIs contribute and reveal new linkages between local assets, potential markets and societal challenges by engaging them as proven sustainable innovation and transition brokers in transnational quadruple helix partnerships following S3 policies in accordance with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), thus supporting sustainable and resilient tourism. Moreover, this paper aims at advocating for development of rural and peripheral regions, thus reducing the so-called "rural marginalization". In addition, this paper also supports ongoing recent discussions on related vs. unrelated diversification policy within the S3 realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of regional policy mechanisms towards increased regional resilience is widely recognised, but limited consideration is given to the impact of these mechanisms in, specifically, the peripheral region. In reaction hereto, this article explores the role of three key mechanisms, i.e. economic sectoral composition, innovation and knowledge networks, as well as government institutions as policy tools towards increased regional resilience in a peripheral region in South Africa. The role of each of these mechanisms is quantified and measured by specified indices such as the GVA, the Tress Index and the ICT Access Index, and government indicators such as audit outcomes and service delivery data in five planning regions of the Northern Cape province. This article highlights that a state of dynamic stability and resilience is more feasible through policy intervention focused on these three mechanisms, coupled with detailed regional socio-economic analysis. It also emphasises that a knowledge-rich region will be less dependent on single sector development, pushing itself into a new development stage of secondary and tertiary sector focus through economic diversification, lessening its vulnerability to external shocks and disturbances, and impeding regional lock-in. In support hereto, collective institutional action by a responsive and accountable local and regional government, operating beyond their functional limits, will reinforce and amplify development in the peripheral region.

Introduction. The rhetoric of the leaders of the countries of the European Un ion shows large-scale contradictions on key issues as well as the “geocultural” incompatibility of views. The objective of the study is to prove the need for a dichotomous division of the European Union into “West” and “East”, the conceptual application of the idea of “multi-speed Europe” being the theoretical basis for such separation. Materials and Methods. The method of unity of the qualitative and quantitative parameters of the countries of the former socialist bloc and Western European states was used to establish a sufficient evidence base. Empirical and theoretical studies as well as statistical data from international organizations were used as the materials for this study. Results. In the process of a comprehensive study, an up-to-date geocultural analysis of the comparative characteristics of the countries of the European Union was carried out. On this basis, the effectiveness of the concept of “multi-speed Europe” as a way of formalizing the existing differences within the European Union has been proved. An assessment of the consequences of the regionalization of Europe, optimistic for Russia, has been given. The actual application of this concept will improve the socio-economic ties between Russia and Western Europe. Discussion and Conclusion. The study has revealed the controversy and ineffectiveness of the existence of a united Europe. A comprehensive study of the concept of “multi-speed Europe” will make it possible to predict the further development of the European Union and evaluate the role of Russia in modern Europe. The results may be used by scientists and politicians to analyze the consequences of the enlargement of the European Union.

Purpose: Interaction through the use of social media, smartphones, and online games is increasingly growing. Regarding games, it is estimated that part of the population spends more than 12 hours a week in interactions provided by online games. In this context, the objective of the present research is to study and deepen the connection between co-creation and gamification applied to the services sector. Originality/value: This research aims to contribute to the gap reduction in the existing literature in the areas of gamification and co-creation applied to the services sector. The fact that the research is applied to a peripheral region of Europe and to a different business sector contributes to a better understanding of the relationship established between gamified co-creation and the business sector in these types of regions. It also helps companies in the process of developing and implementing new strategies. Design/methodology/approach: By using a qualitative methodology, seven interviews were carried out in different companies located in Portugal and operating in the services sector. Findings: This research will allow a better understanding of the Portuguese business world and if this corporate environment is ready to work with new methodologies. It was possible to point out some good practices related to the implementation of a gamified co-creation methodology, as well as to provide an alert for the negative aspects that may arise when working under this approach. Companies acknowledge that the adoption of a gamified co-creation methodology brings some advantages and increases their competitiveness levels in the market. / Objetivo: O uso de ferramentas digitais é uma realidade no cotidiano de grande parte da população mundial, seja no trabalho ou na vida social. A interação por meio do uso de mídias sociais, smartphones e jogos on-line está a crescer acentuadamente. Em relação aos jogos, estima-se que parte da população passa mais de 12 horas por semana em interações fornecidas por jogos on-line. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo tem como objetivo aprofundar a conexão entre a cocriação e a gamificação aplicadas ao setor de serviços. Originalidade/valor: Este estudo procura contribuir para a redução do gap na literatura existente nas áreas da gamificação e cocriação quando aplicadas ao setor dos serviços. O facto de o estudo ser aplicado numa região periférica da Europa e com um tecido empresarial distinto contribui para um melhor entendimento sobre a relação estabelecida entre a cocriação gamificada e o tecido empresarial nesse tipo de regiões. Ajuda de igual modo as empresas no processo de implementação e desenvolvimento de novas estratégias. Design/metodologia/abordagem: Utilizando uma metodologia qualita­tiva, foram realizadas sete entrevistas com diferentes empresas a atuar no setor dos serviços, localizadas em Portugal. Resultados: Por meio deste estudo, será possível permitir uma melhor compreensão do mundo empresarial português e se esse ambiente corporativo está pronto e é recetivo a trabalhar com novas metodologias. Foi possível sinalizar algumas das boas práticas para a implementação de uma metodologia de cocriação gamificada, além de fornecer um alerta para os aspetos negativos que podem surgir ao trabalhar sob essa abordagem. As empresas reconhecem que a adoção de uma metodologia de cocriação gamificada traz algumas vantagens e aumenta seus níveis de competitividade no mercado.

Purpose: Interaction through the use of social media, smartphones, and online games is increasingly growing. Regarding games, it is estimated that part of the population spends more than 12 hours a week in interactions provided by online games. In this context, the objective of the present research is to study and deepen the connection between co-creation and gamification applied to the services sector. Originality/value: This research aims to contribute to the gap reduction in the existing literature in the areas of gamification and co-creation applied to the services sector. The fact that the research is applied to a peripheral region of Europe and to a different business sector contributes to a better understanding of the relationship established between gamified co-creation and the business sector in these types of regions. It also helps companies in the process of developing and implementing new strategies. Design/methodology/approach: By using a qualitative methodology, seven interviews were carried out in different companies located in Portugal and operating in the services sector. Findings: This research will allow a better understanding of the Portuguese business world and if this corporate environment is ready to work with new methodologies. It was possible to point out some good practices related to the implementation of a gamified co-creation methodology, as well as to provide an alert for the negative aspects that may arise when working under this approach. Companies acknowledge that the adoption of a gamified co-creation methodology brings some advantages and increases their competitiveness levels in the market. Objetivo: O uso de ferramentas digitais é uma realidade no cotidiano de grande parte da população mundial, seja no trabalho ou na vida social. A interação por meio do uso de mídias sociais, smartphones e jogos on-line está a crescer acentuadamente. Em relação aos jogos, estima-se que parte da população passa mais de 12 horas por semana em interações fornecidas por jogos on-line. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo tem como objetivo aprofundar a conexão entre a cocriação e a gamificação aplicadas ao setor de serviços. Originalidade/valor: Este estudo procura contribuir para a redução do gap na literatura existente nas áreas da gamificação e cocriação quando aplicadas ao setor dos serviços. O facto de o estudo ser aplicado numa região periférica da Europa e com um tecido empresarial distinto contribui para um melhor entendimento sobre a relação estabelecida entre a cocriação gamificada e o tecido empresarial nesse tipo de regiões. Ajuda de igual modo as empresas no processo de implementação e desenvolvimento de novas estratégias. Design/metodologia/abordagem: Utilizando uma metodologia qualitativa, foram realizadas sete entrevistas com diferentes empresas a atuar no setor dos serviços, localizadas em Portugal. Resultados: Por meio deste estudo, será possível permitir uma melhor compreensão do mundo empresarial português e se esse ambiente corporativo está pronto e é recetivo a trabalhar com novas metodologias. Foi possível sinalizar algumas das boas práticas para a implementação de uma metodologia de cocriação gamificada, além de fornecer um alerta para os aspetos negativos que podem surgir ao trabalhar sob essa abordagem. As empresas reconhecem que a adoção de uma metodologia de cocriação gamificada traz algumas vantagens e aumenta seus níveis de competitividade no mercado. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main goal of the article is to show the role of innovativeness in the context of the development of a peripheral region, with particular emphasis on the analysis of the perception of selected spheres of endogenous development resources by representatives of the regional innovativeness system representing public administration, research and development institutions and enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses both the method of analyzing the literature on the subject and the analysis of the results of own sociological research carried out in the Podkarpackie Province under the research grant. Findings: The analysis of the results of own empirical research carried out in the article shows that the Podkarpackie Province has a significant endogenous development resource located in the sphere of social awareness and positive attitudes of the surveyed inhabitants towards changes and innovativeness s. Research limitations/implications: Further research on the role of innovativeness in the development of the peripheral region should be focused on in-depth recognition of the innovative personality elements of the inhabitants of the region and their perception of opportunities for using the internal development potential. Practical implications: The practical implications consist in an attempt to indicate that there is a possibility of a region recovering from the peripheral and marginalized state by using the endogenous development potential of the innovative attitudes and awareness of the regional community. Social implications: Increasing the scope and level of acceptance of changes and innovative solutions by the regional community, and thus facilitating and accelerating the development and modernization processes in the region. Originality/value: The value of the article lies in the recognition and analysis of the social dimension of endogenous development resources expressed in the attitudes and innovative awareness of selected categories of inhabitants of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Innovation is a very important pillar within a knowledge-based economy, in the regional and local perspective as well. A literature review on innovation and SME innovation strategies to their correlation and the possibility of their joint examination. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to explore the SME’s innovation strategies and their impact on effectiveness of innovation in a peripheral region. We investigate the effects of innovation activities not only among small and medium, but also micro firms which are not covered in official innovation surveys by the national statistical offices. We proposed a model of implementing innovation, and tested our hypotheses. Methods: Research was based on data drawn from CATIs carried out among 419 firms, therefore making a conceptual contribution to the knowledge on innovation strategy. The main statistical test for relationships and dependencies was the chi-square independence test. To arbitrate whether there were statistically significant differences between medians due to different factors among enterprises, analysis for variance (H Kruskal-Wallis’ test for k independent samples) procedure was implemented. Findings & Value added: The results of our research show that among SMEs in peripheral regions dominated those which we call ‘pragmatists’ and ‘imitators’ in context of their approach towards innovation. The significance of objective factors showed that there was a lack of enterprises that could play the role of ‘creators of innovation’ in the peripheral region. However, the examined firms more often noticed positive than negative aspects of introduced innovations, which is determined by the scale of enterprise; they were focused mainly on the consequences of innovation for their products and services.

The purpose of the work is to characterize the potential for the smart development of urban-rural communes of the Lublin Province as potential catalysts for the implementation of the smart villages’ concept. In order to determine the potential for the smart development, the zero-unitarization method was used. In specific areas of smart village concept a synthetic index was determined. The study negatively verified the relationship between the level of potential for the smart development of the studied communes and the accessibility of transport and communication of the region’s capital. The study also revealed a positive correlation between the size of the urban centre in the urban-rural commune and the level of the potential of smart development of urban-rural communes.

Since 2000 (The Lisbon Strategy), the discussion about the possible interactions between investments in innovation and competitiveness has become increasingly essential. Enterprises differ substantially with regard to their innovation activities, competitiveness and performance: size, sector, type of investment together determine their innovation activities. The main aim of this study is to analyze the roles of investments in innovation and how investments influence SME competitiveness in a peripheral region in Poland. The author investigates the effects of innovation activities among small and medium but also micro firms. The research was based on the data drawn from CATIs carried out among 808 firms (410 innovative and 398 non-innovative ones). To determine statistically significant differences between the variables of innovative and noninnovative companies, the logistic regression method was implemented. The research results show that among SMEs in the peripheral regions, not every type of investment affects competitiveness. The greatest dependence is demonstrated by the expenditures on machinery and equipment, on marketing activities, on intellectual property protection, and on training. The study also shows the existence of negative factors, the increase in which leads to a reduction in competitiveness level. Moreover, an innovative company which invests in innovation increases the chance of improving competitiveness more than a noninnovative company which invests in innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the development of the North Coast 500 (NC500) route as a key initiative contributing to the increase of tourism in one of the least visited parts of Scotland. Drawing upon data on visitor numbers within the area between 2014–2018 it considers whether the NC500 has catalysed and encouraged tourism to an area of the country that has for many years been a peripheral region in terms of visitation. The findings highlight that the route seems to have had an impact upon a number of different aspects of tourism within the area generating increased expenditure and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the paper is to identify the essential determinants of enterprises’ growth in a peripheral region, with regard to particular patterns of regional development. Literature studies have been conducted to recognise the patterns and determinants of the development in question. Characteristics of lagging regions have been provided in the first section, while another section contains a discussion on aspects related to enterprises’ growth in non-core regions. The main finding is associated with a crucial value of innovation, knowledge spillovers, as well as social and human capital as fundamental for enterprises facing scarcity of regional endogenous resources. Thus, necessary actions should be taken for promoting enterprises’ networking and internalisation. Entrepreneurial attitudes, notably of young generation, should be supported. The findings may be interesting for entrepreneurs and regional policymakers.

There is a tendency to think in primarily economic terms (e.g., economic and financial opportunities) when considering how major science, technology and business spaces, also known as science parks (e.g., Silicon Valley, USA; Science Vale, UK), attract international knowledge migrants (IKMs) from the global knowledge economy. However, other elements that make places attractive for IKMs to achieve desirable standards of living are often not sufficiently addressed in the recent literature. Using a single case study of the Dutch science park Novel-T, this paper investigates how science parks can deliberately be created to attract and retain IKMs using a new multidimensional model for understanding the attractive effects of science parks on human capital. The fieldwork element involved 20 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, which were analyzed using a narrative analysis technique. The results of the case study show that science parks should be understood as multidimensional networks that trigger both a social attraction effect for IKMs as well as regional economic development and growth. The importance of the spatial design of science parks as well as the creation of a highly international atmosphere were found to be two influential factors in attracting IKMs to a particular science park in a peripheral region. Moreover, the results show that the deliberate construction of a science park with four intended operational effects is not a simple and controllable process, since some operational effects (e.g., external recognition) appear to be more controllable than others (e.g., internal social dynamics).

Research background: Innovation is a very important pillar within a knowledge-based economy, in the regional and local perspective as well. A literature review on innovation and SME innovation strategies to their correlation and the possibility of their joint examination. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to explore the SME's innovation strategies and their impact on effectiveness of innovation in a peripheral region. We investigate the effects of innovation activities not only among small and medium, but also micro firms which are not covered in official innovation surveys by the national statistical offices. We proposed a model of implementing innovation, and tested our hypotheses. Methods: Research was based on data drawn from CATIs carried out among 419 firms, therefore making a conceptual contribution to the knowledge on innovation strategy. The main statistical test for relationships and dependencies was the chi-square independence test. To arbitrate whether there were statistically significant differences between medians due to different factors among enterprises, analysis for variance (H Kruskal-Wallis' test for k independent samples) procedure was implemented. Findings & Value added: The results of our research show that among SMEs in peripheral regions dominated those which we call 'pragmatists' and 'imitators' in context of their approach towards innovation. The significance of objective factors showed that there was a lack of enterprises that could play the role of 'creators of innovation' in the peripheral region. However, the examined firms more often noticed positive than negative aspects of introduced innovations, which is determined by the scale of enterprise; they were focused mainly on the consequences of innovation for their products and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several villages in Poland make efforts to obtain the status of a health resort. It is connected not only with limitations in conducting business activity, resulting from the necessity of maintaining high quality of the environment, but also brings certain material and non-material benefits to the commune. It is precisely because of the benefits that the status of a health resort is increasingly becoming a desirable status for many communes with health resort values. The aim of the research, the results of which are presented in this article, was to identify the condition and possibilities of developing a spa function in rural areas in Poland. In particular, attention was paid to the Lublin Voivodeship. For this purpose, selected planning and strategic documents of the municipalities typed as potential spas in the Spatial Development Plan of the Lublin Voivodeship were analyzed. An important role was played by case study on the background of the presentation of the context of development of health resorts in Poland, based on literature, legal acts and statistical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of previous studies regarding the relation between spatial accessibility and tourism development do not share a unanimous opinion by the side of the scientific community. In this context, the present paper approaches a particular case of the above mentioned relation: up to what extent the development of wine tourism destinations in the Republic of Moldova depends on geographical position and spatial accessibility? The research consisted in getting through three methodological steps: 1) a critical review of previous results; 2) a review of the enterprises responsible for wine production, followed by a selection of the 11 enterprises that provide wine tourism offers and the collection of official statistics concerning these types of offers (supplemented by conducting on-site interviews); 3) the interpretation of the relation between geographic accessibility towards the city of Chișinău and the variation of the annual tourist number and the prices demanded by each enterprises. The results prove that, in peripheral areas such as the Republic of Moldova, there is a significant impact of spatial accessibility on the way in which these enterprises are functioning. This influence affects firstly the annual number of visitors and secondly the prices they practice.

Despite its economic relevance, only a few studies focus on knowledge creation, diffusion and utilisation in traditional industries located in peripheral regions, and even fewer on the innovation interdependencies between industries and regions. The theory of differentiated knowledge bases is capable to explain both the industrial and spatial patterns of the knowledge flows. The present study aims to reveal the process of innovation-related knowledge sourcing in the printing industry located in the peripheral region of Kecskemét, Hungary. The research builds on three main questions: what are the main sources of new knowledge? Who are the main collaborative partners in knowledge acquisition and transfer? And what is the main spatial level of knowledge sourcing? The results indicate that in a peripheral region, innovative firms build on the combination of direct and indirect knowledge sources mostly external to the region, while the non-innovative ones typically rely on local, incomplex knowledge sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the use of European Union Structural Funds to support the development of innovation policy within Wales during the period 2000-06. Drawing on data from the Welsh government and interviews with key stakeholders, it focuses specifically on the Technium programme, a high-profile technology-based innovation intervention that took a predominantly supply-side approach to supporting innovation, resulting in its eventual failure. Consistent within this is an analysis of the efficacy of supply-side policies using European Union funds to support research and development activities to aid economic growth in peripheral, weaker regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most AFN studies tend to investigate in which ways these socio-economic constructs are distinct from conventional agricultural circuits. Less emphasis has been put on investigating how the relational processes leading to the formation of different types of AFN constitute different socio-economic constructs. In this paper, I use theoretical underpinnings from the debate in economy geography about proximity dynamics to explore the relational processes of formation of AFN. The use of proximity as a conceptual framework allows distinguishing between spatial (i.e. Euclidean distance) and relational (cognitive, organizational, institutional and social) understandings of emerging producer-consumer relations. I will perform this empirically by investigating accounts from small organic farmers located in a remote rural region of Sweden of how they establish and develop such short relations. The paper comforts findings from previous studies accounting that individual farmers are engaged in co-occurent forms of market relations but goes further by emphasizing the new spatialities and temporalities of the flows of goods, persons and information across the physical landscape that are induced through the formation of AFN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minerals mining and processing companies (hereinafter referred to as "minerals industry") face the increasing demand for a comprehensive approach towards innovations aimed at sustainability. While the ability to learn from external sources of knowledge is at the core of this process, lack of geographical proximity and multiplicity of external sources impose challenges for mineral companies in this respect. The present study proposes that organizational, institutional and cognitive proximities could provide a platform for this industry to overcome those challenges, thereby achieving a superior innovation performance across various sustainability dimensions. Results of an analysis based on a sample of 101 mineral companies in Norway reveal that these dimensions of proximity are conducive to process, product and social innovation in different ways. More specifically, organizational proximity (diversity of non-local collaborations) and informal institutional proximity (shared cultural norms and values) spur social innovation. Furthermore, formal institutional proximity (similarity of rules and laws) and cognitive proximity (familiarity of knowledge base) support both process and product innovations. This paper provides some insights on the determinants of innovation in sustainability contexts, and contributes to the recent debate on the role of non-spatial proximity dimensions for innovation in the peripheral regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a tendency to think in primarily economic terms (e.g., economic and financial opportunities) when considering how major science, technology and business spaces, also known as science parks (e.g., Silicon Valley, USA; Science Vale, UK), attract international knowledge migrants (IKMs) from the global knowledge economy. However, other elements that make places attractive for IKMs to achieve desirable standards of living are often not sufficiently addressed in the recent literature. Using a single case study of the Dutch science park Novel-T, this paper investigates how science parks can deliberately be created to attract and retain IKMs using a new multidimensional model for understanding the attractive effects of science parks on human capital. The fieldwork element involved 20 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, which were analyzed using a narrative analysis technique. The results of the case study show that science parks should be understood as multidimensional networks that trigger both a social attraction effect for IKMs as well as regional economic development and growth. The importance of the spatial design of science parks as well as the creation of a highly international atmosphere were found to be two influential factors in attracting IKMs to a particular science park in a peripheral region. Moreover, the results show that the deliberate construction of a science park with four intended operational effects is not a simple and controllable process, since some operational effects (e.g., external recognition) appear to be more controllable than others (e.g., internal social dynamics). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The entrepreneurial potential of a region is a key factor in linking innovation to the market, thus leading to economic growth. This is especially important in peripheral regions that are characterized by low innovative dynamism. This paper analyses the entrepreneurial process in a European peripheral region, the Canary Islands, Spain. It attempts to determine possible cultural specificities and the role of motivation in the entrepreneurial process. To do this, an analysis of entrepreneurial intention (EI) is framed within the theory of planned behaviour and using motivation, opportunity and ability theory. An empirical study was carried out using a sample of 1457 university students participating in the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey project. Results indicate that motivation influences EI directly and indirectly through an individual's attitude towards entrepreneurial behaviour. The perception of business opportunities is also a significant antecedent of entrepreneurial motivation. Consequently, entrepreneurial education and policies to foster entrepreneurship in peripheral regions should not attempt to transform individuals' attitudes towards entrepreneurship directly, but rather focus on improving motivation using intensive pedagogical strategies in creativity that go beyond mere informative content. Methodologies and content focused on recognizing opportunities and problem-solving would also be effective elements in educational programmes of entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]