The Changing Determinants of New Business Formation in the Czech Republic

This paper is concerned with the connection between new business formation rates and their theoretically substantiated regional determinants, using regression modelling. The dynamics of new business formation is evaluated comparing the influence of regional determinants in two time periods - 2001-2002 and 2011-2012. The Czech Republic is the area of interest. Empirical results indicate the coexistence of persistent and changing influences of regional determinants on new business formation. The quality of the entrepreneurial environment, industrial diversity and population change have a persistent and positive impact on new business formation. There is also a positive connection between agglomeration economies and new business formation. The increasing influence of agglomeration economies is indicated. The presence of foreigners is not a statistically significant determinant of new business formation in the 2001-2002 models. Nevertheless, the importance of this determinant is increasing. It is suggested that unemployment vulnerability has a negative impact on new business formation but has increasing importance on entrepreneurship in disadvantaged regions. Finally, spatial interactions are an inevitable part when considering the determinants of new business formation

TRANSPORT AND COHESION POLICY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC IN THE PERIOD 2007-2013

Doprava představuje jeden ze základních prvků fungování současné společnosti. Mezi nejvíce diskutovaná témata v tomto směru patří výstavba a modernizace dopravní infrastruktury v širších souvislostech ekonomického rozvoje a podpora udržitelných forem dopravy. Do těchto dvou tematických oblastí je rovněž směřována podpora kohezní politiky Evropské unie pro rozvoj dopravy v České republice. V architektuře operačních programů České republiky jsou přitom rozhodující Operační program Doprava a regionální operační programy. A právě na analýzu projektů OP Doprava a prioritní osy Doprava ROP Střední Morava se zaměřuje tento článek. Hlavní závěry ukazují na preferenci nové výstavby dopravní sítě národního a nadnárodního významu před řešením otázky kongescí v hlavních urbánních prostorech. Z prostorového hlediska se jak v případě projektů OP Doprava, tak v případě ROP Střední Morava projevuje existence rozdílů mezi jádrovými a periferními oblastmi, kdy hlavní podíl projektů je lokalizován v blízkosti hlavních rozvojových center. Současně však bylo poukázáno na existenci specifických možností využití kohezní politiky v oblasti dopravy i v periferních regionech a to na bázi vnitřních rozvojových předpokladů.Transport may be considered to be a cornerstone of current society. Transport infrastructure investments and sustainable transport belong to the most often discussed transport themes and issues. And just on these two themes EU cohesion policy is oriented in the Czech Republic, with a decisive role of Operational Programme Transport and regional operational programmes in the structure of Czech operational programmes. Therefore, approved transport projects of OP Transport and ROP Central Moravia are analyzed in the article. The main findings point at the preference of new transport infrastructure construction to the development of sustainable urban transport systems. Spatially, there are disparities between core and peripheral regions of the Czech Republic when the decisive share of funds is allocated close to the main development centres. However, also peripheral regions have specific opportunities, based on their endogenous development strengths, to benefit from cohesion policy

Structural funding and intrastate regional disparities in post-communist countries

The intent of this paper is to provide empirical evidence about associations between structural fund allocation in the Czech Republic’s micro- regions for the programming period 2007 to 2013, and intrastate regional disparities by considering the three traditional pillars of sustainable development. The results have mixed evidence, both supporting and not supporting various associations. Economically disadvantaged micro-regions had less structural fund allocation in the economic pillar of sustainable development. To the contrary, socially disadvantaged micro-regions were allocated more structural funds in the social pillar of sustainable development. Therefore, a compensatory effect in sustainable development was observed between economic and social pillars. Results in the environmental pillar were insignificant. The results in this paper provide an ambivalent conclusion regarding the contention that spatial distribution of structural funding actually contributes to a reduction in intrastate regional disparities at the micro-regional level. However, micro regions with better economic conditions, e.g. agglomeration economies, better human capital and patent activities – received more structural funding in total. © 2017, Universitatea Babes-Bolyai. All Rights Reserved.Czech Science Foundation [16-22141S, IGA/FaME/2016/010

On some aspects of territorial competitiveness: Smart specialization in the Zlín 2020 strategy

Territorial competitiveness is a development concept often cited these days. Currently, smart specialization represents a politically influential concept how to stimulate territorial competitiveness. This article deals with some relations between smart specialization on the one hand and territorial competitiveness on the other. In particular, the main goal of this article is to introduce how these relations were reflected in the case study of the Zlín City Development Strategy for the years 2014-2020. In this regard, the smart specialization concept was used as the leading concept for formulating strategic goals and measures related to economic development and labour market of the city. The article combines findings from both analytical and strategic parts of the document. Overall, some methodological inspiration may be drawn.Technology Agency of the CR (TA CR), programme OMEGA [TD010158

Regional disparities, absorption capacity and Structural Fund payments: A case study of the Czech Republic

The intention of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on how the factors of socio-economic disadvantage and absorption capacity influence the spatial distribution of Structural Fund (SF) payments among the Czech Republic’s micro-regions during the 2007–2013 programming period. The empirical results indicate that agglomeration economies, innovation and entrepreneurship are associated with higher SF absorption capacity and higher SF payments, challenging the tendency for socio-economically disadvantaged regions to converge. SF absorption capacity measured especially by the number of project applications submitted for SF financing and by the average SF budget per project application, is a crucial concept in order to understand the relationship between within-country regional disparities and SF interventions

Enterprise support policy and territorial cohesion: The Czech Republic (2007-2013)

The intention of this paper is to evaluate whether the spatial distribution of Structural Funds (SF) for enterprise support interventions follows the relevant territorial cohesion objectives specified in the strategic documents of the Czech Republic in the programming period 2007-2013. The evidence provided suggests mixed results. A relatively high SF allocation to the regions, characterized by strong agglomeration economies and a strong entrepreneurial climate, supports the competitiveness objective, particularly for innovation-oriented interventions. Nevertheless, little support is given to the objective of balanced development because socio-economically disadvantaged regions do not receive a higher SF allocation, in particular traditional industrial regions suffering from industrial decline, high unemployment and with a poor entrepreneurial climate. In this regard, the absorption capacity concept is emphasized as being important for explaining the spatial distribution of SF. © 2017, Editura Universitatii din Bucuresti. All rights reserved.GACR, Grantová Agentura České Republiky; OCIO, Office of Chief Information Officer; UTB, Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve ZlíněCzech Science Foundation [16-22141S

Perception of small and medium entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic

This paper deals with small and medium enterprises in relation to the attitudes perceived by business owners in their immediate neighbourhood, society, in relation to banks and the government. The key question is the difference between entrepreneurs who started their businesses voluntarily and those who entered the business out of necessity. The majority of governmental policies, including Czech policies, focus more on the questions of financial support, however the support of entrepreneurs can be broader and may include the efforts to influence perception of an individual and the society so that they have a more positive attitude towards entrepreneurial activities. The attitudes in the Czech Republic are so far rather negative and such a change may be positively reflected in the level of the entrepreneurial activity which strongly affects economic development

Spatial dimension of Czech enterprise support policy: Where are public expenditures allocated?

The purpose of the present paper is to find whether the spatial distribution of enterprise support policy funds meet the spatial objectives stated in Czech strategic documents related to enterprise support policy. Are more funds allocated in lagging regions, and does enterprise support policy contribute more to the convergence objective, or are more funds allocated in core regions, and does enterprise support policy contribute more to the competitiveness objective? These questions are answered by evaluating the Structural (and Cohesion) Fund (SF) expenditures that were allocated on operations categorised as part of enterprise support policy (2007-2013). The dependent variable relates to 206 regions, and SF expenditures are calculated for every inhabitant of a region. Moreover, two types of SF operation are distinguished: (a) innovationoriented operations; and (b) other enterprise support operations. Three explanatory variables are defined using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and these components are understood as: (1) the social disadvantage of regions; (2) the innovation environment of regions; and (3) the quality of regional entrepreneurial environments. The associations between the dependent and explanatory variables are subsequently evaluated by methods of correlation and regression analysis. The findings provide some evidence for both the convergence and competitiveness objectives. Nevertheless, this evidence is rather limited due to a low spatial concentration of SF allocation, and the compensatory effect between the two thematic types of SF operations. Hence, while the quality of their innovation environment has a positive influence on regional SF allocation regardless of the thematic focus of SF operations, socially disadvantaged regions received more funds for SF operations which are not innovation-oriented. The capacity of potential beneficiaries to prepare and submit many project proposals for SF co-financing is the main reason for high or low SF allocation. © 2018 Jiří Novosák, et al., published by Sciendo.Czech Science Foundation [16-22141S

Regional disparities, absorption capacity and Structural Fund payments: A case study of the Czech Republic

The intention of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on how the factors of socio-economic disadvantage and absorption capacity influence the spatial distribution of Structural Fund (SF) payments among the Czech Republic's micro-regions during the 2007-2013 programming period. The empirical results indicate that agglomeration economies, innovation and entrepreneurship are associated with higher SF absorption capacity and higher SF payments, challenging the tendency for socio-economically disadvantaged regions to converge. SF absorption capacity measured especially by the number of project applications submitted for SF financing and by the average SF budget per project application, is a crucial concept in order to understand the relationship between within-country regional disparities and SF interventions.Czech Science Foundation [16-22141S

Leaderand rural differentiation: Czech Republic (2007-2013)

The goal of this paper is to reveal the socioeconomic and environmental characteristic differences between supported and unsupported Local Action Groups (LAGs) from the LEADER programme in the Czech Republic in the programming period 2007-2013. Hence, the associations between the LEADER programme and rural differentiation in the Czech Republic are explored. The results of this study point out that highly rural and disadvantaged LAGs were supported significantly more often, while LAGs with strong urban characteristics and growing suburban LAGs were supported significantly less often in the LEADER programme. Two crucial dimensions of rural differentiation in the Czech Republic were tackled by LEADER, namely rural aspects and socioeconomic disadvantages. This study consequently shows that LAGs May be a highly relevant place-based instrument that compensates for urban-rural gradient and socioeconomic disadvantages of rural areas. © 2018 Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno. All right reserved.GACR, Grantová Agentura České Republiky; OCIO, Office of Chief Information Officer; UTB, Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlín