Cross Border Innovation Economies: The Cascadia Innovation Corridor Case

In the recent literature on economic geography, cross-border regions have been highly heralded as potential sources for reaping the benefits of innovation (OECD, 2013). In fact, those regions have gained a reputation as being endowed with comparative advantages to compete in global markets (Vance, 2012). However, the types of processes that are occurring in the region, which act as hindrances (or barriers) to cross-border knowledge flows, have remained a significant but understudied topic in the academic literature. The same lack of understanding is widespread among the policy makers engaged in cross-border issues, specifically in terms of improved Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) management. This research project addresses this timely topic by evaluating the effects of the international border between Washington State, U.S. and British Columbia, Canada. This cross-border region, also known as “Cascadia,” possesses a unique combination of assets, including human capital, universities, investments, and financial capital, that enable the cross-border region’s innovation economy to compete globally (Andersen & Wenstrup, 2016). These assets have been supported by local public and private actors (Brunet-Jailly, 2008) and targeted innovation policies aimed at promoting the region as a world-class innovation hub. The object of this study is the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, a current innovation initiative in the region. I adopt a multidisciplinary approach to this case study, combining an economic geography perspective (different forms of proximity have been evaluated in the region), the border policy standpoint (governance implemented in the region) and a regional planning viewpoint (legacy of the Corridor and improvements to the overall strategy to strengthen the collaboration across the border). The research focuses on how tech economies are driving local economic development in Cascadia. This in-depth analysis pursues two goals, both of which are timely contributions to regional efforts: first, identifying the main drivers and hindrances affecting cross-border innovation linkages in the region; and second, developing policy recommendations that will support tighter cross-border economic cooperation. This project is based on primary data collected through a survey and interviews as well as secondary data gathered by official documents (e.g. Memorandum of Understanding further recalled), local newspapers and organizations’ reports. The work empirically gauges the ongoing degree of economic interactions in Cascadia on both sides of the border, examining the networks that exist between organizations and actors involved in the cross-border ecosystem, as well as the missing links that impede stronger collaboration. The final part of the analysis digs into the regional planning practices in the cross-border context and establishes a set of policy recommendations targeted at the cross-border cooperation process in Cascadia. This analysis confirms that the Cascadia innovation ecosystem possesses the key assets needed to ensure long-term growth. Moreover, it sheds light on the role of multinational companies which play a pivotal role in the Cascadia innovation ecosystem, which in turn still appears very ii fragmented. The analysis of the hindrances confirms that transportation infrastructure represents a shortcoming for regional development. From a policy standpoint, the federal-level U.S. political climate does create a burden impacting the economic linkages across the border in Cascadia. Finally, the analysis suggests that the role of local (city) governments is advocated to be more efficient in creating “horizontal” relationships across the border

Non-Governmental Organizations and Cross-Border Environmental Cooperation: Salish Sea and Baltic Sea Regions

There are transboundary watersheds all over the globe in which community members are concerned about the healthy water ecosystems and take actions. Governance systems, policies, and local stakeholders’ engagement in transboundary water management can be quite different from one country to another, depending on political regimes, interstate relations, histories of civil society, available funding and more. The Salish Sea is a transboundary body of water bisected by the U.S–Canada border between Washington State and British Columbia. In addition to governmental agencies, Indigenous people and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly playing a role in crossborder cooperation within the basin. This research paper addresses the status of non-state actors in transboundary environmental governance in the Salish Sea, with particular attention to local NGOs, informal networks, and environmental activism. I have conducted content analysis of NGO websites with a focus on their activities and projects, including financial mechanisms, with a cross-border focus. I also studied professional and scientific transboundary networks in the Salish Sea Basin and conducted interviews with representatives of NGOs, research institutes, Indigenous nations, and governmental institutions both in Washington State and British Columbia. My research showed that there are a large number of NGOs working on common problems in the marine region, including oil spill prevention, fisheries, or orca protection. Washington State and British Columbia NGOs and environmental groups have a good understanding of their colleagues’ work across the border and informal networks are functioning well. However, despite active environmental groups around the Salish Sea, there are few NGO-to-NGO partnerships that are jointly planned and funded. The few existing cross-border NGO projects that do exist are mostly technical ones, with scientific research or conservation as the main component. The absence of public and private funding for cross-border cooperation and general policy support for transboundary cooperation are major obstacles. This report also compares environmental NGOs and networks in the Salish Sea with the Baltic Sea area in northern Europe. This analysis conveys that there are more examples of pan-Baltic networks and unions of NGOs, towns, scientific organizations, and SMEs, whose work is supported by national and EU grant programs, than in the Salish Sea. NGOs in the Salish Sea region rely mainly on private donors while Baltic Sea organizations depend on public grants. In Europe, support for cross-border cooperation is mainly motivated by a desire to build a common European identity, which is not the case in Canada–U.S. relations. Civic environmentalism in the form of protests and action groups against environmentally unfriendly activities of companies or governments is more vibrant in the Salish Sea compared with the Baltic Sea. Both in the Salish Sea and Baltic Sea region, universities and the scientific community can be named as leaders of transboundary cooperation

"Comparing pro-fence mobilizations in Israel and in Arizona (United States of America). An echo to the Mediterranean situation"

"Comparing pro-fence mobilizations in Israel and in Arizona (United States of America). An echo to the Mediterranean situation