Regional Development Challenges Research Articles

The Danish Realm in the Arctic

ABSTRACT Arctic regional development challenges the Danish Realm construction. The geopolitical importance has increased the focus on the two sub-state units, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which demand more influence and room to conduct paradiplomacy. The Arctic Council is the most important international institution in the region, and this article focuses on different options for the distinct political units within the Realm to seek influence and oversee the development. Previous research has addressed options on the governmental level, but this article emphasizes additional parliamentary-related options. In addition, the article focuses on the strategic level of this type of activity. The investigation shows that Greenland and the Faroe Islands use multiple options, but that the Danish Folketing compared to the Løgting and Inatsisartut is more strategic in the use of options, and that the Folketing allocates central Arctic-related parliamentary seats to North Atlantic MPs to legitimate the Arctic state position.

Funding Social Services: Addressing Local and Regional Development Challenges

This study examines the evolution of social service financing at the regional and local levels within Poland's market economy, highlighting not only the challenges in financing but also the efficiency concerns that could be addressed within public sector entities to foster socio-economic development. Through analytical and empirical methods, this research evaluates the impact of governmental units on socio-economic growth, focusing on an analysis of financial capabilities and spending patterns of local governments. Previous studies indicate that the growth of social services in Poland's market economy has been driven largely by the efforts of public sector organizations, emphasizing their role in encouraging development. Looking ahead, the research identifies the potential for enhanced collaboration with third-sector entities and a shared responsibility for addressing both economic and social issues.

A capability-approach perspective on regional development

ABSTRACT We argue for a broader and more deliberative regional policymaking process that can be used to better identify the needs of diverse left-behind communities and develop appropriate policies. We argue that the capability approach’s quintessentially inclusive and broad scope, and focus on real opportunities, agency, and process might better address the challenges of regional development. We use these insights to lay out a practical guide for how the capability approach could be used in policymaking, breaking down the implementation approach into steps, and providing examples from a variety of contexts to show how each step might be achieved in practice.

Rhetoric in the construction of a system of socioeconomic indicators

Indicators are quantitative data that are the product of procedures established by the researcher, where results are generated, but they are not findings of the object; measurement methodologies and techniques acquire greater relevance than knowledge of reality. The interest in precise measurement is more attractive to the researcher than the explanation and knowledge of the object. The construction of indicators has to do mainly with the need to measure empirically the phenomenon presented, therefore indicators are considered as the description of the morphological attributes of the object, and also as those units of measurement for morphological analysis. They do not respond to an immediate connection with the environment, based on a pre-existing theory, but also respond to mediations that come to be articulated by a theory that offers a foundation to the object of study; therefore they are conceptualizations thought from the object and the articulations that it presents. In conclusion, indicators are one of the tools that make it possible to quantify, to verify conditions, to compare different places and situations, to manage information and also to anticipate future trends and conditions. Having a list of them will not by itself solve the challenges of regional development, although they do contribute to its promotion.

Social Progress Index in the context of regional development at the district level in the Košice region

Composite indicators have recently gained substantial interest for assessing peo-ple’s quality of life. While initial efforts have focused on the macro level of countries, lately these approaches have also been applied on more granular, local levels of administration. Among these approaches the Social Progress Index stands out as an applied policy tool with unique methodology and design principles. This paper documents the application of the Social Progress Index for the district level in the Košice region. The Index was applied to the entire territory of the Košice Region, which includes 11 districts and covers the period of six years 2015–2020. The indicators selected into the Index framework reflect the general principles of the SPI: they are non-economic (i.e. social or environmental), out-come-oriented, rele-vant to all units of observation (i.e. districts), and actionable. The results of the 2020 Košice Social Progress Index reveal a varying degree of societal outcomes across the districts. The highest performing districts of the region are the municipalities of Košice, where the Košice I district achieves the highest overall performance and Kosice II records the lowest performance within the city. The districts of Gelnica and Trebišov achieve the lowest Index score in the region. All districts of the Košice Region achieved an improve-ment in the Index over 2015–2020. The most significant change in SPI was in Košice IV district, in contrast, Gelnica district recorded the lowest growth. By discussing the method-ology, challenges and top level results, the paper contributes to a greater understanding of the needs and challenges of regional development in the region of Košice and to the ap-plication of composite indicators on local levels. The Index provides a basis for local and regional governments for planning and decision-making activities and for better public policies to reduce regional disparities and improve quality of life. URL: https://www.gcass.science.upjs.sk/

Identification of spatial imbalances and risks of regional labor market development in Ukraine in the context of current destabilization processes

The article focuses on the problems of destabilization of the Ukrainian national economy and its regional markets in the context of the full-scale war. The key challenges of regional development in the short term as a result of their growing imbalances are identified, in particular the functioning of labor markets. The authors point out the long-term challenges to the development of regional labor markets and prove that the policy of their leveling should be based on strengthening competitiveness and enhancing convergence with the EU labor markets. The most critical trends in social stability in the regions of Ukraine during the war are characterized. The article presents statistical parameters of the registered labor market in the regions of Ukraine separately in terms of labor supply and separately in terms of labor demand in the pre-war period and during the war. The reasons for the low level of registered unemployment in the regions of Ukraine during the war are highlighted. The authors analyze the level of balance of regional labor markets and identify the main risks and threats to their functioning and development in the context of modern destabilization processes. Based on the analysis of regional aggregate demand (vacant and employed jobs) and aggregate supply (economically active population) in 2008, 2014, and 2021, the level of balance of the domestic labor market is calculated and assessed. Three types of labor-surplus regions are identified: (1) regions with a lag in socio-economic development and intensive demographic growth; (2) depressed regions, where the number of jobs stabilizes or decreases due to stagnation in the areas of specialization due to the exhaustion of raw materials or poor competitiveness of manufactured products; (3) regions with a deformed economic structure or monopoly position of enterprises and individual industries in the labor market, which leads to an imbalance of demographic or qualification nature. The prospects and priorities of the state policy of stabilizing the functioning and ensuring the development of regional labor markets in Ukraine are outlined.

Development Geography for exploring solutions to promote regional development

Development Geography is a branch of geography which studies the socioeconomic development of different countries and regions worldwide. Its related research provides informative ideas for promoting regionally coordinated development. This study introduces the basic connotation and theory of Development Geography research, and clarifies its primary indicators and core approaches to provide solutions for regional development. Finally, the application in regional development research under globalization is proposed. It is considered that the systematically integrated geography paradigm highlights the advantages of Development Geography in regional development research. As a result of its “differentiation characteristics-diffusion state-convergence mode”, an important theoretical basis and methodological paradigm are provided to explore the features of regional development. Since the development gaps among regions exist long throughout the world, Development Geography research ought to focus on new characteristics and challenges of regional development, to provide a theoretical basis for synergy management of sustainable development goals and international cooperation. This contributes to high-quality regional development.

STEAMhouse Innovation Services: Strategies and Challenges for Regional Development in the UK

…studies have shown that SMEs have specific barriers to growth and innovation, and more often, they constrain their innovation activities as a result. Incubators and accelerators play an essential role in developing small and medium enterprises. STEAMhouse integrates a design thinking approach to encourage an innovative culture in SMEs.

Post‑crisis Economic Environment of Two Central and Eastern European Regional Centres: A Comparative Approach

Our research studies the economic background of recovery and catching‑up after the global financial and economic crisis, comparing the case study areas of Cluj‑Napoca in Romania and Pécs in Hungary. We use explorative statistical data analysis to describe the post‑crisis regional economic environment in the context of the differential outcomes of the high‑pressure economy in these two countries. Then, we analyse the evolution of the per capita gross domestic product in a decomposed form which provides insights into the main challenges of regional development in the two regional centres. The results show that long‑run economic challenges must be handled with an efficiency‑oriented regional policy that relies upon capital and knowl­edge‑intensive growth.

Assessing contextual factors for sustainable development: a case study of LEED-certified projects in Jordan

PurposeThe researchers analyzed factors affecting the adoption of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building certification system in Jordan, including financial performance of certified projects along with broader barriers that may impact developers’ interest in LEED.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first reviewed online data for all LEED registered and certified projects in Jordan, recruited LEED-certified project stakeholders, collected documents related to LEED projects and conducted LEED category credit summaries, financial cost-benefit analyses and spot-checking reported values in local markets. The authors then visited projects sites and interviewed various project stakeholders to understand better stakeholders' decision-making processes concerning LEED and relevant factors (financial, branding, cultural, political, etc.).FindingsObtaining LEED certification in Jordan was financially feasible as evinced in both the quantitative analysis and interviews. However, the authors found that there was very limited interest in LEED among Jordanian developers. Barriers included widespread cynicism toward green building concepts as well as a lack of local expertise in installing and maintaining green technologies. To overcome these barriers, the authors recommend that green building initiatives place a greater emphasis on education and public-promotion activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe research data were limited to projects that had successfully achieved LEED certification. Broader qualitative research conducted across the Jordanian building community could provide additional insights, but such an investigation is beyond the scope of the current study.Originality/valueThe complexity of adapting a Western green building standard (LEED) to a non-Western context is discussed in detail. The findings suggest that understanding regional development challenges, local markets and cultural differences is vital for successfully implementing green building certification systems.

9 - Maritime Policy and Economic Development: A Comparison of Nigerian and Japanese Experiences since the Second World War

It is now generally recognized that the maritime sector could, if properly harnessed, play a critical role in the development of regional, national and global economies. This is in view of the growth-pole potentials of ports and ancillary industries. Although a comparison of Japan, a leading global power, and Nigeria, a vastly underachieving African country, might sound far-fetched, the effort is rewarding, as shown in this article, for its implications for public policy formulation and implementation. This paper attempts a comparison of the evolution and implementation of policies relating to the development of ports, the mercantile marine and port industries in both countries. Focusing on the roles of the government and the private sector, it locates the discussion in a wider, global comparative context. The prospects and challenges of regional development through the agency of the maritime sector in both Nigeria and Japan are considered in the light of such concepts as 'maritime industrial development areas (MIDAs)' and 'developer ports'. Pertinent lessons in comparative history and public policy analysis are highlighted in the paper, which has benefited from primary research in both countries.

Innovating but still poor: The challenges of regional development in regions with mature industries

AbstractThe persistence of patterns of decline or stagnation in developed countries has led to a renewed interest in the study of less developed regions. This renewed interest is informed by a variety of approaches, which range from studies on the unequal distribution of economic power and resources to analysis of regional endowments, such as human capital or quality of institutions. However, a persistent misconception in some of this literature is that the primary factor explaining levels of development is innovation happening within firms. In particular, this narrative fails to consider the role of national and international agents and processes, the impact of value chain management on value appropriation, and the challenges to diversification within peripheral regions. This paper will contribute to this debate by developing these matters theoretically and by drawing on an analysis of three wine regions in Portugal.

The foundational economy and regional development

ABSTRACT The foundational economy approach to economic development suggests that the production of goods and services that are critical to human welfare (e.g., water, energy, education and elderly care) should be the central concern for policymaking. This paper examines whether this approach could address three core challenges for regional development: social polarization, interregional inequality and environmental sustainability. It concludes that the foundational economy approach is particularly promising in addressing challenges relating to social polarization, but could benefit from further engagement with alternative theories on innovation, work in political science on policy for improving government quality, and various literatures on environmental sustainability.

Integration of Higher Education Institutions to Address the Challenges of Regional Socio-Economic Development

Recently, the topic of regional development has become particularly relevant since regions are gaining more and more autonomy in solving their socio-economic issues. This transformation results in the concern of how to find potential partners for building a regional development strategy, sharing resources and competencies. In this context, it is advisable to consider universities as a significant potential partner. In particular, it is necessary to analyse their role and capabilities in creating a regional strategy, the most relevant forms of interaction, and indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the universities’ integration to address the challenges of regional development. We applied the expert interview method and discussed the problem with representatives of 28 Russian universities who occupy top managerial positions and have an expert opinion on key issues. Based on the analysis of empirical material, we identified three main roles of universities in regional development: a project initiator, a partner, and a source of human and analytical resources. During the resource assessment, we determined that funding is the only scarce resource for universities, while all other resources and competencies can be quickly mobilised if necessary. The most effective mechanisms for integrating universities to address regional challenges are a consortium of universities and the organisation of project offices with the participation of government and business representatives. The main research result was the identification of quantitative and qualitative criteria characterising the universities’ involvement in solving socio-economic issues of regional development, as well as indicators, which are necessary for their definition. Additionally, we discovered a previously unidentified information and administration group among the quantitative criteria and defined the main stages of assessing the effectiveness of such integration. In regards to the considered issue, a promising direction for further research would be a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the universities’ integration to address social and economic challenges in different regions of the Russian Federation.

Testing comparative spatial planning studies in the Latin American context: theoretical implications and challenges for regional development

Até ao momento, os estudos comparativos de planeamento territorial têm-se foco predominantemente no continente europeu. Desde o final da década de 1980, um crescente número de estudos tem contribuído para a proliferação de abordagens teóricas e metodológicas, bem como para uma melhor definição do objeto de estudo. Ao mesmo tempo, a comparação orientada a outros países do mundo é menos frequente, se excluídos os 'estéreis' relatórios desenvolvidos por organizações internacionais. Com enfoque na investigação das razões por detrás deste vazio empírico, o artigo analisa as implicações teóricas e os desafios que emergem quando se aplicam no Sul Global estruturas conceptuais e analíticas desenvolvidas no Hemisfério Norte. Para fazer isso, o artigo enfatiza o papel do legado colonial e, em seguida, argumenta a necessidade de ‘ir além da eficiência técnica’ do planeamento e considerar as relações de poder dominantes escondidas por trás da aparente neutralidade dos sistemas de planeamento e governança do território, particularmente em contextos onde as desigualdades espaciais são mais profundas. Nesse sentido, o artigo sugere considerar as práticas informais paralelamente às formais, como uma maneira de entender melhor os elementos que estruturam os sistemas de planeamento territorial e governança no Sul Global. Em suma, testar estudos comparativos de planeamento territorial na América Latina pode oferecer um valor agregado ao desenvolvimento regional, estabelecendo uma agenda regional para um planeamento do território mais integrado e cooperativo.

Rediscovering regional development in New Zealand: Reflections on local and regional development challenges and opportunities

Rediscovering regional development in New Zealand: Reflections on local and regional development challenges and opportunities

Challenges of Regional Development in the Context of Population Ageing. Analysis Based on the Example of Opolskie Voivodeship

Demographic changes, primarily the problem of progressive ageing, are one of the key challenges to development in Poland. The Opolskie voivodeship belongs to the regions characterised by extremely unfavourable demographic phenomena. This is because some population changes here have a broader dimension than on average in Poland and in the EU. Thereby, they have far-reaching as well as complex economic and social consequences in the region. Due to the fact that demographic processes are determined in the long term, and it is extremely difficult to influence them in the short term, the adaptation of social and economic spheres and, at the same time, the use of specific opportunities resulting from these changes, seems a useful strategy for regional development policy. Therefore, in the context of senioral policy, complex, coherent and diversified activities in the sphere of growth of professional activity of elderly people, support for life-long learning, improvement of seniors’ living conditions, including the development of health infrastructure, and seniors’ integration in society prove to be necessary. The multidimensional concept of the ‘silver economy’ creates specific opportunities for using the possibilities resulting from population ageing, and minimising the unfavourable consequences of this process, in the Opolskie voivodeship. However, the implementation of this concept demands the consideration of several determinants and barriers, that consequently affect its effective functioning. The direct objective of the paper is to present the current and projected demographic situation of Opolskie voivodeship, and on its basis, to determine the challenges resulting from the ageing of society for regional development.

Addressing Uncertainty of Environmental Governance in Environmentally Sensitive Areas in Developing Countries: A Precise-Strike and Spatial-Targeting Adaptive Governance Framework

Endowed with distinctive natural ecosystems and abundant biodiversity, regional environmental governance in developing countries, especially the environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs), is facing the daunting task to ultimately divert their regional development mode towards sustainable fashion through governance transition. However, given their less-developed status in particular expressed by under-developed economies, unsound political regimes, low governance capacity, such task seemingly insurmountable. In order to approach the incompatibility between economic development and maintenance of the ecosystem services value, and understand the complex and interlocked nature of the regional institution system of ESAs in developing countries, an ecosystem services value-based adaptive governance model was introduced to identify the deficiencies and failures of existing regional environmental governance and establish innovative arenas and transition agendas for innovating and reframing regional institutions and modifying role of regional actor groups and governance mode in the process of decision making on environmental issues. Such approaches were conducted in a circular diverting process in order to facilitate the mode of regional development transforming towards sustainable development. For demonstration the process of application and effectiveness of this methodology, a case study was conducted in a typical ESAs—the Water Source Area of the Middle Route Project of the South–North Water Diversion Project in China. Through integrating the ecosystem services value (ESV) assessment into a wider framework of institutional change, the regional institution system innovation and reformation was directed by taking the ESV changes and pattern of its geo-distribution in the research area as indicators or clues. Compared with traditional proposals for administrative change, the methodology proposed in this study was not prescriptive or directive: Rather, an approach for influencing the direction and speed of transition through a series of steering and coordination mechanism. Therefore, this model is with the potential to be implemented by local communities in regions, especially ESAs in developing countries, to encounter with similar regional development challenges and complex, interlocking, and over-dated regional institutional system associated with environmental issues.

Assessing the Regional Sustainability of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration from 2000 to 2015 Using the Human Sustainable Development Index

Sustainability assessment can analyze the challenges of regional development from societal, economic, and environmental dimensions and provide an important baseline for regional planning. Recently, the rapid socio-economic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration has inflicted great pressure on the regional environment. Therefore, this paper evaluated the sustainability dynamics of the BTH urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2015 at the city scale using the Human Sustainable Development Index (HSDI) and discussed the major drivers of the changes in regional sustainability. The results showed that the overall sustainability of the BTH urban agglomeration increased from 2000 to 2015, with the HSDI increasing by 10%. Among the three dimensions, the economic sustainability indicators grew the fastest, with a growth rate of 42%, while the environmental sustainability indicators declined by 8%. The decline of environmental sustainability played an important role in limiting regional sustainable development. Specifically, the optimization of the energy structure in six cities, e.g., Tangshan, Langfang and Cangzhou, was relatively weaker than that in the remaining seven cities. In the future, the BTH urban agglomeration must further optimize the energy structure to build a resource-saving and environmentally friendly society.

INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS OF INTERREGIONAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONVERGENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION: INTERDISCIPLINARY METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH DEVELOPMENT

Relevance. The problem of interregional convergence within EU-countries has been of great interest among scholars. Such an interest is explained by the fact that joining the European Union may cause deepening interregional disparities among EU-members. As a result, there is a need to develop a model of interregional convergence in socio-economic development that would help countries to face the challenges of regional development during the process of European integration. The multidimensional nature of issues relating to interregional disparities implies the usage of an institutional approach that allows an analysis combining economic and non-economic factors. The purpose of this paper is to develop an interdisciplinary methodological approach to the analysis of interregional socio-economic convergence in the context of European integration from the institutional perspective. Methodological basis. Valuable and very interesting studies along this research line have been undertaken by a number of scholars who have used different methodological approaches that include neoclassical analysis, “core-periphery” theory, institutionalism, “resource abundance curse” phenomenon. The outcomes of their studies serve as a solid ground for in-depth research on interregional convergence that allows analysing this phenomenon from different perspectives. However, the issues regarding the regional dimension of institutional influence on the socio-economic development in the context of European integration have not been thoroughly covered in the economic studies. Results. Based on analysis of theoretical and empirical studies in the areas of interregional disparities and institutional economics, the interdisciplinary methodological approach has been developed, which implies reaching the following objectives: 1) to analyse interregional disparities in EU-members within the framework of neo-classical growth theory, 2) to examine regional dynamics using methodology of “core-periphery” theory (“New Economic Geography”); 3) to research the presence of “resource abundance curse” phenomenon in the regional development in the EU-countries; 4) to examine the institutional dimension of interregional disparities; 5) to analyse position papers on the EU Cohesion Policy implementation to outline the institutional challenges of the latter. Therefore, the research output allows developing an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of the institutional aspect of socio-economic convergence that combines a quantitative (empirical) and qualitative analysis.