Regional competitiveness: The case of Western China

This paper explains the concept of regional competitiveness and the factors that influence on it. A large number of various authors explain this concept, based on its different aspects, including: productivity, mikroaspekts (firm), quality of human capital, innovation, technology, infrastructure, social capital, etc.. Taking into account complex nature of regional competitiveness, it is difficult to determine a standard definition of this term. The second part of this paper refers to the case of western China. Substantial disparity in regional development is a reality in every geographically large country, and the causes of the disparity are numerous and complex. Regional inequality has been an important issue in China. This paper generally summarized China's Western regions geography, government policies and development situation. The authors put forward some practical strategies on how to help the western regions create a favorable environment to attract national and international investment

TRANSNATIONAL TRANSPORT CORRIDOR OF THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE BASED ON SABETTA SEAPORT: CHALLENGES OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR RUSSIA

The article investigates the opportunity of the development of a new transnational transport corridor on the base of the NSR, which is much shorter and faster than the usual one. The basis of this project is Sabetta seaport, which is considered as a potential transnational transport hub. The authors investigated the opportunities for the development of intermodal terminals and new services/goods for the East-West and North-South international transport corridors. They design this idea on the base of multi-modal transportation approach for the development of a global innovation project of NSR Transnational Transport Corridor. Using classical methods of analysis, they conclude that the port of Sabetta, as well as other ports in the Yamal Peninsula currently does not have direct rail access to the Central Russia regions and it can be good potential for regional development in Ural and Siberia. The research was limited by the official statistics about NSR dynamic of cargo volume. The results of research can provide the development of new multimodal transnational transport corridor and can be the basis of regional development in northern Russian regions. The implementation of the idea can provide a significant amount of new jobs and an enormous amount of international investments. Mainly in international scientific literacy authors examine the question of North Transport corridor by logistic and geographical aspects. The article investigates this question in more complex aspect by a multimodal approach with involvement in the NSR another means of communication like a river, railway and motorway transportation

Model of regional compeveness: theorecal-methodological analysis and possibilies of applicaon in Serbia

Niska konkurentnost srpske privrede i odsustvo regionalne politike, stvorile su potrebu za kreiranjem modela regionalne konkurentnosti, koji će identifikovati, selektovati i analizirati ključne faktore konkurentnosti regiona u Srbiji. U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji, kreiran je Model pahulje regionalne konkurentnosti, koji osim ekonomskih i socijalnih faktora, analizira i faktore: inovacija, infrastrukture, ljudskog kapitala, neformalnih institucija i zaštite svojine, kulture i turizma, kao i geo-prirodne faktore. Model uključuje i kompozitni indeks (IRK) koji meri i rangira 78 indikatora i pod-indikatora. Na osnovu rezultata merenja indikatora i faktora regionalne konkurentnosti, kreiraju se „pahulje konkurentnosti“, koje na slikovit način prikazuju konkurentsku snagu svakog regiona. Imajući u vidu broj merenih faktora i indikatora, kvantitativnu osnovu modela i osobinu grafičkog prikaza, Model pahulje spada u više-problemske ili kompleksne modele regionalne konkurentnosti.Low competitiveness of the Serbian economy and the lack of regional policies have created the need for designing a model of regional competitiveness, which will identify, select and analyze the key factors of regional competitiveness in Serbia. In this PhD thesis, a Snow flake model of regional competitiveness has been created analyzing, beside economic and social factors, other factors such as: innovation, infrastructure, human capital, informal institutions and the protection of property rights, culture and tourism, as well as geo-natural factors. The model includes a composite index (IRC) which measures and ranks 78 indicators and sub-indicators. Based on the measurement results of indicators and factors of regional competitiveness, the snowflakes of competitiveness have been created presenting the competitive strength of each region in a picturesque manner. Considering the number of measured factors and indicators as well as the quantitative base of model with the aim of graphical representation, Snowflakes model belongs to the multi-problem or complex models of regional competitiveness. It can be used as a means of socio-economic analysis of regional competitiveness, because it determines the strengths and limitations at regional level. A correlation analysis of indicators of regional competitiveness has been included with the aim to demonstrate their mutual interdependence

DOES AGGLOMERATION PROCESS EXIST IN SMALL PROVINCIAL URBAN CENTERS? EVIDENCES FROM SVERDLOVSK REGION

In this paper we analyze the agglomeration of three small urban centers in Sverdlovsk Region (Russia). We describe agglomeration economies as the process where firm can be divided into those based on internal economies and those based on external economies, and also that each kind of economy can be viewed from the perspectives of scale, scope, and complexity. In our example, agglomeration economies are based on the internal economies. All analyzed towns are different in the level of industrial production, economies of scale and increasing returns. Industrial agglomeration effects are conceptually classified into localization and urbanization economies. We believe that agglomeration is strong only in small towns with the effective industrial production. As methods we used the Cobb-Douglas production function. Results of the research showed that only a town with industrial specialization (Verkhnyaya Salda) is characterized by constant returns to scale and the growth of total production which is mainly determined by increasing of capital. The other two cases of the towns (which are not industrial specialized) do not generate these results. Moreover, the town which not develops industrial production has no any effect of agglomeration. Agglomeration effects can be observed at different levels of aggregation. Large cities provide greater opportunity for economies of scale, availability of quality human capital, cluster effects, innovation processes and knowledge spillover, but under certain conditions smaller towns can also achieve some of the effects of agglomeration

Region as a Basic Territorial Unit of Regional Development (Concepts and Types)

The authors analyze and summarize the history of the development of the region,meaning of the term region and types. The paper analyzes the regions as basic territorial units which are important for regional development, the area in which establishes and implements regional development policy. The concept of the region is seen dynamically, in a historical context. The subject of the work is focused on the study of the phenomenon of the region as a territorial unit for the preparation and implementation of regional development policy for the purpose of equitable development. The authors analyzed different concepts and underlined the most important characteristics of the idea region and its types. Based on the analysis, definitively that the region is starting and basic territorial unit for planning and implementation of sustainable policies for regional development

THE EXAMINATION OF THE RESIDENTS’ ACTIVITIES AND DEDICATION TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY — AN AGRITOURISM ACCESS TO THE SUBJECT

The paper deals with conceptual guidelines, basic aspects and spatial frameworks of the development of agritourism. The holistic approach, in this regard, includes the integrated and the comprehensive aspects of tourist stays in the countryside. The authors define the impact of agritourism on rural surroundings and analyze the influence of spending leisure time outside urban areas and consuming agritourism activities. Understanding the many components of agritourism is essential for future planning, management, business decisions and strategies. For success in agritourism, knowledge is necessary in many economic fields, including organization, management and marketing, among others. In addition, this article emphasizes products and services in agritourism and provides insight into the facilities and opportunities that are offered to tourists in rural areas. The research findings represent a useful tool for obtaining information about many elements of agritourism development and can serve as a relevant instrument in travel industry research or in academic investigation

Challenges in Developing Urban Marketing Strategies: Evidence From Ekaterinburg

2018 FIFA World Cup became the first championship held in Russia and Eastern Europe. However, at that time, Russia already had experience in hosting sports mega-events such as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, and before that the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Hosting the championship in 11 cities at once sets the 2018 FIFA World Cup apart from all these events. It gave impetus to the socio-economic development of all cities (and regions) where the matches were held, including Ekaterinburg. On the other hand, the sports mega-event provides unique opportunities for the global marketing positioning of the city. The present study examines the challenges of developing a city marketing strategy using the case of Ekaterinburg. Theoretical foundations of place marketing were employed for the analysis. Based on the critically explored concepts of place marketing and the competitiveness of the territory, the author’s 4C + 1S model was constructed. The current state of the urban environment was evaluated using a SWOT analysis conducted in a group of students. The research also analysed cities’ experience in conducting recent sports mega-events in the world and managing their facilities and infrastructure after these events. In conclusion, we formulated the proposals for Ekaterinburg’s positioning, including the improvement of the transport system, solution to environmental problems, increase in the effectiveness of the local government, and maintenance of public consensus. As a basis for specialisation, it is suggested to consider either the industry of meetings (MICE) or industrial tourism with complementary ‘natural’ and ‘historical’ directions. The proposed 4C + 1S model can be used as a methodological framework for the creation of urban marketing strategies. Additionally, the article makes a theoretical contribution to the development of place marketing. The results can be applied in further academic urban studies

Tourism as an Approach to Sustainable Rural Development in Post-Socialist Countries: A Comparative Study of Serbia and Slovenia

The research deals with the sustainable development of the Serbian and Slovenian countryside, under the influence of tourism progress. The article identifies the main rural tourism competitiveness in Serbia and Slovenia, as one of the essential factors of rural development in both countries, analyzing the main contributions and making a series of proposals to guide the future research agenda. The aim of the paper is to clarify around one obviously defined objective—to point out the competitiveness of sustainable rural tourism in typical post-socialist settings. The data for this study were collected using the Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness to observe Serbian and Slovenian competitiveness in tourism. Determinants were assessed using a survey evaluating four demanding factors and 20 supporting factors, based upon a five-point Likert Scale. The results indicated that the friendliness of residents towards visitors, easy communication between them, together with quality of infrastructure and health facilities show the highest level of statistical correlation. These are the main propositions to start an initiative for the authorities in local communities to actively participate in sustainable rural development. The findings provide tourism stakeholders with relevant respondents’ perceptions pertaining to the tourism development in non-urban areas

Importance of presentation skills in contemporary business

Improving presentation skills has been a popular issue since ancient times, and today is becoming a necessity in many activities, especially in the context of management. In modern business, according to experts in this field, the ability to present ideas is considered an important feature of employees. Professional presentations, in fact, are a significant and common method of disseminating information. Presentation skills are a real challenge in the case of teachers, researchers and scientists, who are at the beginning of their professional careers. They sometimes cause great anxiety. This paper therefore discusses various aspects of presentation skills, relevant to business people as well as researchers and scientists. Useful guidelines to help researchers and scientists hone their skills. The central part of the paper deals with the analysis of factors that affect the quality of the presentation for different purposes. The author's view is that presentation skills, like other skills, can be learned and developed through practice

CUBE ONLINE ANALYTICAL MODEL (COLAM) IN THE RIVER SHIPPING LOGISTIC FORECASTING

In this paper authors developed Cube Online Analytical Model (COLAM) which should anticipate various restrictions and hazards in river transport system. The aim is to construct a theoretical model which will predict certain delays in transport time caused by topographic and hydrographic constraints, natural hazards (such as ice, floods and droughts), economic and political constraints (tariff barriers between the countries, operating costs, terminal costs and sanctions, the threat of war, etc.) and different technical accidents. COLAM integrates hydroinformatic and hydrologic base of knowledge with real time and gives possibility to provide information for economic queries with different hierarchy of time. COLAM is methodological and practical instrument for this challenge. It integrates hydroinformatic and hydrologic base of knowledge with real time. The model in each concrete case is created to receive information about possible changing of navigation periods on the base of multi-dimension all of three groups of risks (natural hazards, social and technical hazards) as also their combinations