The knowledge regions in the enlarged Europe

Since the Lisbon agenda in 2000, Europe stated the goal to become the most advanced knowledge economy in the world relying specifically on the increase and strengthen of its human capital and technological endowments. However, given the presence of localized externalities in the knowledge accumulation process, this policy may produce distortive and unwanted consequences at the territorial level reinforcing the existing high inequalities among regions. Another crucial feature to be considered is the recent enlargement process of the European Union which has brought on stage new players characterized by a low average level of knowledge activity accompanied by a huge degree of internal territorial disparity. The aim of this paper is to identify the “knowledge regions†in Europe and to examine their main territorial features. To this aim we first build, for 287 regions belonging to 31 European countries, a comprehensive picture of the two variables - human capital and technological activity - which constitute the main pillars of the knowledge economy. For each of these two variables we construct several indicators examining their spatial distribution across the European regions. Further, we compute two synthetic indicators for human capital and technology and, on the basis of these two dimensions, we finally identify the knowledge regions.

European Territorial Trends - Facts and Prospects for Cities and Regions Ed. 2017

This report analyses a set of territorial trends at continental and sub-national scale, looking at patterns and determinants of regional growth, while considering pan-European and national characteristics. Past and prospective demographic and economic trends are analysed to provide a picture of ‘what, where, when and how’ things happen in European cities and regions. Specific emphasis is placed on urban areas since acknowledged sources of both opportunities and challenges. The indicators used in the analysis herein presented are freely and openly accessible in the Territorial Dashboard of the Knowledge Centre for Territorial Policies at: http://urban.jrc.ec.europa.eu/t-board/index.htmlJRC.B.3-Territorial Developmen

Beyond "Absorption": the Impact of EU Structural Funds on Greece

Since 1981, Greece has been a major recipient of EU funds. Brussels has commissioned a large number of studies to assess the impact of these funds on the Greek economy and society. The authors of this volume do not replicate these reports. Instead, they raise questions that are often overlooked in typical program and project evaluations. They focus particularly on implications for governance. Τhe book provides an innovative analysis of the long-term non-quantifiable impact of EU cohesion policy - from the recipient’s viewpoint. The verdict is not positive: dismal failures lie next to impressive successes. The realization of what has gone wrong may trigger a debate on how to avoid similar mistakes, how to promote modernization and how to invigorate sustainable growth at a critical time in the country’s history

Campuses, Cities and Innovation:

The locations of technology campuses determine where innovation takes place. In a knowledge-based economy, the future of cities increasingly depends on the presence of universities, their industry partners, talent and (start-up) businesses. The relationship between (technology) campuses and cities was a central theme in Flavia Curvelo Magdaniel’s doctoral research, which was defended and published in September 2016. During her PhD study, she collected data of thirty-nine technology campuses, which we – as her promotor and co-promotor – considered worth a spin-off publication. This publication “Campuses, cities and innovation” contains descriptions of 39 international cases that accommodate tech-based research activities. These case descriptions (in part B) are introduced with background information about concepts and methods (in part A) and reflected upon in conclusions and recommendations (in part C). Based on our experience - after more than twenty years of campus research at TU Delft – we identified a demand for case study references to support decision making at both universities and municipalities. TU Delft’s campus research team aims at generating management information on all campus levels: from the changing academic workplace and new concepts for university buildings to the sustainable campus and the knowledge city. This book is part of a book series that combines insights from theory with references from practice, to contribute to smarter campus management. With a large number of facts, figures and maps this book “Campuses, cities and innovation” is relevant for board members and (campus) management staff at universities as well as policymakers at municipalities and regional authorities. Additionally, decision-makers of industry partners, (start-up) businesses and (other) members of the campus community could be interested in comparing their campuses with worldwide examples. “Innovation is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” was one of the propositions that Flavia Curvelo Magdaniel defended in September 2016. With this book, we wanted to take the opportunity to support the preparation process and hope to stimulate innovation

Firms and System Competitiveness in Italy

Recent evolution of the Italian industrial system shows how the concepts of localization/delocalization of economic production processes have very little to do with geographical and administrative borders. In this context, a very important and discussed element of complexity is represented by the evaluation of competitiveness. Problems regarding the concept and its proper measurement require a deep elaboration and regard the context of analysis, the information and the available statistical data sources. This book aims at discussing this complex phenomenon from a critical viewpoint both at a macro (economic systems) and at a micro (firms) level showing that they are intrinsically integrated

The Health Care System as a New Competitive Factor in the Light of the Convergence Programme

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The role of regions in global value chains: an analysis for the European Union

While considerable attention has been directed to the national-level impacts of global value chains, far less attention has been focused on the way in which global production fragmentation has affected regional economies. Using some measures derived from a multiregional, multisectoral input–output model, this paper analyzes the position and share of EU regions in Global Value Chains (GVC). The spatial determinants of these two dimensions are explored using spatial econometric methods to capture the influence of neighboring regions on these outcomes. Empirically, the focus is on a set of NUTS2 European regions for the most recent year (2010) of the EUREGIO database. Our results confirm the hypothesis of spatial dependence between regions conditioning the engagement and position GVCs, suggesting that global production processes are influenced by regional and local factors. In particular, spatial spillover effects play a significant role conditioned by both geographical proximity and similarity of production structures. The results show that sharing certain characteristics, some of them associated to their degree of proximity and the neighbouring situation of regions condition their specialization, participation and positioning in GVC, generating some important insights informative for the formulation of regional development policies

The health care system as a new competitive factor in the light of the convergence programme

The new (old) government's manifesto and the convergence programme have given a new impulse to the transformation of the health care system in Hungary. The provision of health care to the population crucially rests upon the pillars of ambulatory and inpatient care. Thus the question of how much in funds is being made available by the government in order to keep the system up and running is of significant relevance. The principles and policies governing the allocation of those funds merit further investigation as well. This paper argues that the health care system should be regarded as a new factor in economic competitiveness. It is easy to see that the future functioning of the health care sector is contingent upon the path followed by public finances, which in turn are closely mirroring the key aspects of the new convergence programme. The study demonstrates with empirical methods that the health care and the social security systems, already crisis-ridden, are very likely to face even more serious problems if the budget deficits persist. The planned rationalisation measures in the health care sector may hamper efforts to reintegrate socially marginalised individuals and the long-term unemployed into the labour market. Due to the funding problems of the health care system the objective of maintaining and improving the optimal health status of the economically active population, allowing people to stay in good health while working, is also at risk. It is a straightforward conclusion then that the health care system, as a new competitive factor, is in need of investment and an overhaul in order to become more efficient and to be able to tackle the challenges lying ahead. It is reasonable to assume that the tasks facing the health care system will multiply in the years to come. This prospect calls not for a curtailment of but an increase in funding, as the health care system, being a new competitive factor, is creating value by maintaining and enhancing the health status of the population

Why regions fail (or succeed). The Role of Government Institutions in the Long-Run

This paper represents an attempt to reconcile some general intuitions provided by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson in the book “Why Nations Fail” with the case of the deep regional disparities in the economic performances observed within the “Western” European Union during the period 2001-2015. By adopting an approach to growth analysis based on binary response models, this paper quantifies the extent to which the quality of government institutions has shaped regional economic performances in the European Union throughout the period comprising the Great Recession. Empirical results show that: 1) The higher is the quality of institutions, the higher is the probability that a region with high income per capita will grow above the levels of the European Union as a whole. 2) The higher is the quality of institutions, the lower is the probability that a low-income region will grow below the levels of European Union as a whole. 3) The higher is the quality of institutions, the higher (lower) is the probability that any region, regardless of its income per capita, will outperform (underperform) the European Union as a whole. 4) The higher is the quality of Institutions, the lower is the probability that a region will “fail” to grow