Los Procesos de Desarrollo Local desde la Perspectiva Europea: génesis y transformación

El articulo muestra cómo los procesos de desarrollo local se han articulado desde la particpación de la población local y la introducción de innovaciones en la función de producción territorial.La coopreación, el cambio institucional y un sistema urbano adecuado han sido claves de la aparición de los sistemas productivos locales. Tras una bereve discusión conceptual sobre diferentes aspectos del desarrollo, se realiza el análisis con las principales teorías basadas en los estudios de casos europeos, asi como de las politicas implementadas para conseguir el mantenimiento de la venataja competitiva alcanzada en el paradigma de la globalización, con diferente suerte, según la capacidad de adaptación de cada territorio al entorno. Las conclusiones muestran cómo ventaja competitiva alcanzada debe estimularse con la continua adaptación local a la competencia de otros ámbitos territoriales.Desarrollo local, sistema productivo local, innovación, cambio institucional, territorio, politicas de fomento

E-commerce and territorial development in the Objective-1 spanish regions

The information and communication technologies constitute one of the main forces of the globalization. In this framework, the e-commerce takes advantage of Internet to improve the competitiveness of the companies and territories. In the nowadays scenario, the e-commerce opens development posibilities for the regions fewer developed, creating a virtual space that saves the geographical barriers. However, the use of its advantages requires infrastructures and equipment, organizational capacity and high formation in new technologies. In spite of the deficit that the objetive 1 spanish regions show in these fields to develop the their own Information Society, the attitude and the efforts of the public and private agents in improving their position in the national and international context, they open optimistic expectations on the future use of the advantages that the e-commerce offers for the growth and the improvement of the regional competitiveness in Spain. Nevertheless, one cannot hope the e-commerce is a decisive element to eliminate the territorial inequalities, not even the technologies of the information in its group, but rather it can be that they originate a restructuring of the spanish and european territorial pattern, where some regions will be able to improve thanks to the extension and deeping of the digital economy and others will worsen its position in the territorial system. In any event, the developed regions leave of a better position. All the analysts coincide in pointing out that the e-commerce is in an incipient phase, for what es expected that its growth in next years is very important. In this sense, this communication seeks to analyze the use of the possibilities that the e-commerce offers as tool of improvement of the competitiveness in the objetive 1 spanish regions in the framework of the regional development. To get this objetive, the theoretical linkings are revised among the new information and communication technologies, that allow the use of Internet like a trade channel, and the territorial development, showing the different focuses with those that are come approaching the influences of the Information Society on the regional competitiveness. Also, the current situation and perspectives of the objetive one spanish regions are rewied to face the challenges that outline the technological advances in this field in three environments: infrastructures and equipment; organization, support institutions and administration initiatives; and innovation, knowledge and formation.

Factors affecting entrepreneurial intention levels: a role for education

A considerable agreement exists about the importance of promoting entrepreneurship to stimulate economic development and employment generation. In particular, entrepreneurship education has been considered one of the key instruments to increase the entrepreneurial attitudes of both potential and nascent entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the factors that determine the individual’s decision to start a venture are still not completely clear. Cognitive approaches have attracted considerable interest recently. But the explaining capacity of personality traits or demographic characteristics is still considered. Therefore, there is a need to clarify which elements play the most influential role in shaping the personal decision to start a firm. This paper tries to contribute to filling this gap by providing empiricallybased suggestions for the design of improved entrepreneurship education initiatives. The empirical analysis is based on two essential elements: firstly, an already validated instrument (EIQ); secondly, a statistical method (factor-regression procedure) which is not dependent on any theoretical approach. It uses all the information collected through the questionnaire items, selecting them solely based on their capacity to explain the dependent variable. Results will allow the design of more effective education initiatives. They suggest that personal attitude and perceived behavioural control are the most relevant factors explaining entrepreneurial intentions. Thus, based on these results, a number of considerations about the most effective role of education in promoting and developing attitudes and intentions towards entrepreneurship are considered. Besides, the EIQ could be used as an evaluation instrument for entrepreneurial education programmes.JRC.J.6-Sustainable production and consumptio