Designing analytical approaches for interactive competitive intelligence

Der Begriff der Resilienz erfährt aktuell eine starke Resonanz in der Wirtschaftsgeographie. Das Platzen der Dotcom-Blase und die Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise Ende der 2000er Jahre werfen Fragen dazu auf, wie ökonomische Krisen entstehen und wie sie vermieden oder gemeistert werden können. Auch Herausforderungen des Klimawandels, der Ressourcenverknappung oder des demographischen Wandels wirken sich auf ökonomische Systeme aus. Staaten und Regionen sind von Krisen nicht nur in unterschiedlichem Maße betroffen, auch ihre Reaktionen darauf unterscheiden sich erheblich. Einige gehen gestärkt aus Krisen hervor, andere werden in ihrer Entwicklung zurückgeworfen, und wieder andere scheinen kaum betroffen zu sein. Ist dieser Umstand begründet in einer unterschiedlich starken Resilienz? Und wenn j a, welche Prozesse bedingen oder beeinflussen eine mehr oder weniger starke Resilienz von räumlichen Einheiten

Forest policy networks in changing political systems: Case study of the Baltic States

The shift from the Soviet system to market economies has induced a wide range of changes in the forest sectors of the three Baltic states. The majority of these changes are the result of compromises made between stakeholders participating in forest policymaking and implementation. In this article it is argued that the relative success of the increasingly complex and dynamic environment of forest policy action arenas is ensured by interconnecting policy networks instead of hierarchical governance by the state. We map and characterize forest policy networks in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while identifying the actors participating in forest policy formation and implementation. The forest policy networks of the Baltic states are compared against each other and with the situation during the last years of the Soviet system

Clinical genetics in transition—a comparison of genetic services in Estonia, Finland, and the Netherlands

Genetics has traditionally enabled the reliable diagnosis of patients with rare genetic disorders, thus empowering the key role of today’s clinical geneticists in providing healthcare. With the many novel technologies that have expanded the genetic toolkit, genetics is increasingly evolving beyond rare disease diagnostics. When placed in a transition context—like we do here—clinical genetics is likely to become a fully integral part of future healthcare and clinical genetic expertise will be required increasingly outside traditional clinical genetic settings. We explore transition effects on the thinking (culture), organizing (structure), and performing (practice) in clinical genetics, taking genetic healthcare in Estonia, Finland, and the Netherlands as examples. Despite clearly distinct healthcare histories, all three countries have initially implemented genetic healthcare in a rather similar fashion: as a diagnostic tool for predominantly rare congenital diseases, with clinical geneticists as the main providers. Dynamics at different levels, such as emerging technologies, biobanks and data infrastructure, and legislative frameworks, may require development of a new system attuned with the demands and (historic) context of specific countries. Here, we provide an overview of genetic service provisions in Estonia, Finland, and the Netherlands to consider the impact of historic and recent events on prospective developments in genetic healthcare