Regional Economic Development Research Articles

The trade potential of grain crops in the countries along the Belt and Road: evidence from a stochastic frontier model

This study employs the stochastic frontier model (SFM) to analyze trade potential and efficiency in wheat and maize among Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries from 2002 to 2021, encompassing 45 countries for wheat trade and 55 for maize trade. The empirical findings reveal that economic development level, population growth, government efficiency, political stability, and regulatory quality are critical determinants of trade efficiency. Notably, World Trade Organization (WTO) membership exhibits a negative correlation with trade efficiency, potentially reflecting challenges in rule implementation and opportunity utilization among member states. In the context of maize trade, increased arable land area is inversely associated with efficiency, suggesting potential issues in managing large-scale agricultural regions or optimizing land use. The BRI’s impact on trade efficiency varies across countries, with Turkey and Hungary showing improved wheat trade efficiency, while Ethiopia and Georgia experienced declines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, effective disease management strategies and diversified trade mechanisms significantly influenced trade efficiency. Furthermore, the study reveals that larger economies do not necessarily outperform small and medium-sized economies in terms of trade potential. These findings contribute significantly to the literature on agricultural trade and offer valuable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of enhancing government efficiency, political stability, and regulatory quality in the context of regional economic development initiatives such as the BRI. This research underscores the need for tailored approaches to trade policy and agricultural management, considering the unique characteristics and challenges faced by different economies along BRI.

The Impact of Human Resource Management on Regional Economic Development

The Impact of Human Resource Management on Regional Economic Development

Whether the Natural Forest Logging Ban Promotes the Improvement and Realization of the Ecosystem Service Value in Northeast China: A Regression Discontinuity Design

To protect forest land from loss and mitigate the global climate crisis, China has proposed a stringent natural forest protection plan, known as China’s natural forest logging ban (NFLB). This policy aims to halt the over-exploitation of natural forests, restore forest ecosystem functions, and promote regional green economic development. This study uses a regression discontinuity design (RDD) model to quantitatively and comprehensively assess the effectiveness of this policy in the key state-owned forest regions in Northeast China. Additionally, it analyzes the heterogeneity and structural characteristics of the policy’s effects on the internal composition of ecological and economic systems. The empirical results are as follows: (1) Ecological and economic impacts: The policy has successfully achieved its ecological objectives by significantly enhancing the quality and value of ecosystem services. However, it has also had a notable adverse impact on economic development, particularly in the timber supply sector, reducing the conversion efficiency of ecosystem service values into economic benefits. (2) Structural analysis: The logging ban effectively promoted the value of various ecosystem services, particularly enhancing regulatory and support functions, with a LATE estimate of approximately 8.47 units. The implementation of the policy caused a negative growth in the output value of supply-oriented ecological products, and the significance level was lower than 0.1. Conversely, the LATE estimates for different types of GDP indicate a negative growth in supply-type GDP due to the policy, with p < 0.1. (3) Heterogeneity: On the one hand, a simplistic and singular approach to logging prohibition may constrain the efficiency of enhancing ecosystem service values. On the other hand, although the policy disrupted the majority of traditional forest enterprise operations, business models focusing on quality and technology improvements were able to mitigate this impact.

Is temperature adversely related to economic development? Evidence on the short-run and the long-run links from sub-national data

We examine the effect of rising temperatures on regional economic development, using annual sub-national data for over 1500 regions in 152 countries between 1990 and 2017. In a panel setting with region- and country-year fixed effects, we find no evidence of a homogeneous or heterogeneous effect of rising temperatures on economic development as measured by regional per capita income. Additionally, we find no non-linear relationship between temperature and economic development. We also employ a long-difference approach that is attuned to exploring the long-run relationship between rising temperatures and regional income. Results indicate that rising temperatures have a negative long-run impact on regional per capita income for a minority of regions located in countries with weak economic, legal and political institutions. Furthermore, these vulnerable regions experience a decline in long-term population and human capital development. The use of alternative regional per capita GDP data from 1950 onwards yields similar empirical results. Our findings suggest that negative economic effects of temperature increase with time, only becoming apparent in the long run for regions in already disadvantaged countries. Thus, country-specific conditions may moderate regional economic vulnerability to future temperature increases due to global climate change.

Analysis of the Competitiveness, Complementarity, and Trade Combination of Kazakhstan and China in the Oil and Gas Trade

The oil and gas trade is one of the main ways to promote regional economic development by improving the effectiveness of resource allocation. While regional energy cooperation could lead to growth in the energy trade, blind investment will reduce effective yields. Kazakhstan and China maintain a stable oil and gas trade, but resource exports to China are not growing as expected. The aim of this research is to analyze the competitiveness and complementarity of Kazakhstan and China in the oil and gas trade, as well as the main factors affecting the oil and gas trade between Kazakhstan and China. By creating a linear regression equation to analyze the gravity model of the oil and gas trade between Kazakhstan and China, it was revealed that a 1% growth of the gross domestic product in both countries would lead to a 1.471% increase in the oil and gas trade. However, an increase in oil and gas production in Kazakhstan will not contribute to the expansion of the oil and gas trade with China. Kazakhstan and China could improve their oil and gas trade by strengthening financial cooperation, improving energy efficiency, increasing investment in infrastructure such as oil refineries and pipelines, and developing new oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan.

The effect of transport parameters on regional economic development: The case of the Ural Federal District

The transport has a special role to play in the regional socioeconomic development, which changes depending on the prevailing trends for population mobility, introduction of advanced technologies, extension of economic connections, and growth in regional production. The study explores the problem of the interface between transport and regional economy on the example of the Ural Federal District. Methodologically, it relies on the theories of spatial development and regional economics. The main method of research is correlation and regression analysis. The evidence is the socioeconomic data on transport as well as values of gross regional product of the Ural Federal District for 2010–2020 sourced from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. The paper develops a model for forecasting GRP. The analysis indicates the presence of the relationship between the socioeconomic metrics of the transport sector and gross regional product of the Ural Federal District. In particular, there is the correlation between the indicators “density of public roads with hard surface”, “deaths in road accidents per 100,000 population” and gross regional product of the Ural Federal District. The paper concludes about the need to develop a composite indicator for assessing the transport sector that will reflect the ongoing digital modernisation and introduction of innovations.

The role of creative industries in the regional economy

Aim. To analyze the role of creative industries in regional economic development with a focus on St. Petersburg. Objectives. To study theoretical approaches to the study of creative industries; to examine the existing concepts of creative industries; to analyze various methods of assessing creative industries and their impact on the regions; to evaluate the contribution of creative industries to the economy of St. Petersburg, to study their dynamics and impact on the socio-economic development of the city.Methods. The authors used general scientific research methods such as deduction, analysis, synthesis and logical analysis. Classical research methods were applied to collect and process data on creative industries.Results. The study determined the role of creative industries in the socio-economic development of regions. The understanding of further prospects of creative industries was formed. The fac[1]tors influencing the economic growth of the region were analyzed. The degree of development of creative industries in St. Petersburg is assessed and their contribution to the structure of gross regional product (GRP) of the region due to the available technical, logistical, digital, cultural and leisure infrastructure is presented. It is concluded that it is the synergetic development of creative industries and related services sector (wholesale and retail trade, catering, tourism, logistics) that can lead to an increase in the quality of life of the population in a particular region, which is the stated goal of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation (RF). Conclusions. Creative industries play a significant role in the regional economy, which is due to their ability to generate creative product and stimulate economic activity. The results of the study showed that the key indicators for assessing the contribution of creative industries are the volume of creative product in the regional GRP, the share of employment in creative sectors and the proportion of creative organizations from the total number of enterprises in the region. The research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of creative industries’ influence on the socio-economic condition of a large Russian city, and provides a basis for the development of strategies to support and develop them

Burden of ischemic stroke in sub-Saharan African countries based on DALYs index - trend analysis and identification of risk factors.

Stroke burden, measured by DALYs, reveals a growing concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Ischemic stroke, exacerbated by modifiable risk factors like hypertension and household air pollution, poses a significant health challenge. Regional disparities, economic development, and healthcare inefficiencies underscore the need for targeted interventions and further research. This study aims to analyze trends in the burden of ischemic stroke across specific regions in sub-Saharan Africa from 2000 to 2019. The objective is to identify key changes in stroke burden progression and highlight modifiable risk factors. Utilizing World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2000 and 2019, national estimates of ischemic stroke DALYs in 49 sub-Saharan African countries were collected. DALYs were calculated per 100,000 population to reduce the impact of population size. Statistical analyses and visual representations using MapChart were employed to interpret the trends. The study reveals wide variations in ischemic stroke DALYs changes across sub-Saharan African countries from 2000 to 2019. Predominantly, countries in the Eastern and Southern regions experienced adverse increases, while those in the Central and West regions mostly exhibited declines in DALYs. Countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius, saw the most significant DALYs increases, whereas Rwanda, Malawi, and Equatorial Guinea experienced the most favorable changes. Stroke is a pressing health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Modifiable risk factors like hypertension and household air pollution necessitate targeted interventions. Tailored healthcare policies, reinforced health systems and comprehensive research into region-specific risk factors are crucial to alleviate stroke-related morbidity and mortality in the region. Addressing these challenges is vital to mitigate the increasing burden of stroke in the particular regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

Production factors, regional economic development and agriculture in brazil: A spatial econometrics approach

Agriculture has a great effect on the development process of a region and production land, labor, and technology are determinant factors in its dynamism. This work carries out a spatial analysis for each production factor of Brazilian municipalities in 2006 and 2017 and intends to verify if there are patterns of association and agglomerations. This work is applied research of quantitative and exploratory nature. The Exploratory Analysis of Spatial Data (ESDA) was used to perform spatial analysis for each production factor in Brazilian municipalities in 2006 and 2017 and to check the patterns of association and agglomerations. The main agricultural activities and practice are related to exports as proposed by North. The formation of clusters verified both in the use of the factors of land, labor and technology, and in the value of agricultural production has a polarized role in the Brazilian space, as described by Perroux. This polarization and the formation of clusters expanded at certain points over time, indicating the formation of new links with neighboring municipalities (a la Hirschman). The spatial association pattern was significant in all analyzed variables, with emphasis on the non-physical technology factor, presenting the highest spatial autocorrelation coefficient in both periods analyzed.

Inclusive finance and regional tourism economy: The role of total factor productivity

Tourism economy is a key component of a region's GDP. Taking advantage of a panel data of 267 prefectures in China between 2010 and 2022, this research investigates the impact of inclusive finance on regional tourism economic development. We find that inclusive finance initiatives can significantly improve the tourism industry. In addition, we find total factor productivity substantially strengthens the positive relationship between inclusive finance and regional tourism economy. This study contributes to the burgeoning research on the consequences of inclusive finance and regional development.

Spatio-temporal Differentiation of County Carbon Budget and Territorial Space Optimization Zoning Strategy in Gansu Province from the Perspective of Carbon Neutrality

Under the background of comprehensively practicing the overall system concept of the "living community" in the new era, incorporating the carbon neutral development goal into the territorial spatial planning and construction and establishing the territorial spatial pattern and optimization strategy in line with the actual development of Gansu Province are of great significance for promoting the comprehensive green low-carbon transformation and high-quality development of regional economy and society. Taking counties in Gansu Province as an example, based on the perspective of carbon neutrality research, the land use carbon budget of 87 counties in Gansu Province in 2010, 2015, and 2021 was calculated and analyzed. GIS spatial analysis and social network analysis were used to further explore their spatial differentiation characteristics and the overall characteristics of the carbon emission spatial correlation network. At last, combined with the main function zoning, the low-carbon oriented land space optimization zoning was carried out, and differentiated low-carbon development strategies were proposed. The results were as follows： ① Carbon emissions in Gansu Province showed an upward trend, but the increase rate decreased, showing a spatial distribution of "high in the central and eastern part of the country, low in the southwest." Construction land was the main carbon source. The carbon uptake showed a spatial distribution of "high in the south and low in the north, high in the west and low in the east." Woodlands were the main carbon sinks. The net carbon emissions showed an increasing trend, and approximately 58.62% of the counties in the province were in a carbon imbalance situation. ② In 2021, the spatial network of county carbon emissions was closely related, showing a "core-edge" pattern. The Chenguan District and Qilihe District were in the core position of the network and received more correlation relationships in the network. The network contacts in Longzhong area were frequent, followed by the contacts in Longdongnan area. ③ Based on carbon emissions, carbon sequestration, and ecological carrying capacity coefficients and using the results of spatial correlation of social networks as role positions, the province was divided into four carbon-neutral sub-districts. At the same time, superimposed analysis of the main function zoning, the county area of the province was reconstructed into seven territorial space zones, and the differentiated regional low-carbon optimization development strategy was proposed for each zone.

Do local government investment preferences influence renewable energy technology innovation? Evidence from China

Local government investment can influence renewable energy technology innovation (RETI). Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2019, this paper uses fixed effect models, partial linear generalized function coefficient models, and other methods to test the impact of local government investment preferences (LGIP) on RETI. The results are: (1) Productive investment preferences significantly inhibit RETI. (2) The impact of productive investment preferences on RETI is heterogeneous across economic development stages and regions. (3) With economic growth, the negative impact of productive investment preferences on RETI gradually decreases. The findings suggest that local governments should adjust investment patterns and appropriately reduce productive investment to improve RETI.

Analyzing the dynamic effect of energy endowment-demand distortion on sustainable development: Insights from China's regional disparity

The distribution of China's energy resources is concentrated in the central and western regions, whereas the energy demand is predominantly centered in the eastern regions. Under the ambitious "carbon neutrality" goal, how to effectively quantify and respond to the impact of this energy “endowment-demand” distortion (EEDD) on economy and environment has become a key issue. We introduce an EEDD index that quantifies the distortion characteristics of China's energy endowment and demand. Based on the EEDD index, a panel vector auto regression-generalized method of moments (PVAR-GMM) model is adopted to assess the interactive effects between regional EEDD and sustainable development variables. The obtained results indicate that the energy endowment-demand distortions are progressively worsening across most provinces. Interestingly, we discover that the EEDD has significant beneficial effects on regional sustainable development. Moreover, the EEDD is found to be significantly influenced by the sustainability-related variables. These impacts between EEDD and sustainable development variables demonstrate significant regional heterogeneity. This study provides crucial empirical evidence for advancing the comprehensive and sustainable development of regional energy, environment, and economy.

From Paso del Norte to the Borderplex: Labor Devaluation, Bordering, and the Remaking of Uneven Development in the US–Mexico Borderlands

Based on over two years of ethnographic research in the US–Mexico borderlands, this article examines how regional economic development actors work to position the border region as a competitive node in the global economy. In the context of the economic uncertainty generated by recent political and economic restructuring, like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, actors deploy discourses of regionalism and practices of regional integration as part of an economic development strategy designed to foment both economic recovery and competitiveness. I argue that central to their efforts to promote a modern, seamlessly integrated binational border region to interested investors and employers is the maquiladora model of economic development. This is an economic development model built on (1) the long-term devaluation of industrial labor and (2) the active maintenance of the geopolitical border itself, as an institution reproductive of the racialized (and relational) hierarchies of value that underwrite the border region’s competitiveness. Engaging insights on capitalism’s uneven development from feminist economic geography and contributions from border studies, I suggest that an empirical engagement with the US–Mexico borderlands expands our geographic imagination of where, and how, racialized devaluation happens. Ultimately, taking regional actors and their economic development strategies and imaginaries seriously illuminates their ongoing importance in shaping regional economic trajectories, and therefore the well-being of border communities, now, and in the future.

An Investigation of the Effect of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem on Startups Success through the Mediating Effect of Self Efficacy, Entrepreneurial Attitude and Entrepreneurial Intention

Developing an effective entrepreneurial ecosystem is viewed as a regional economic development approach that focuses on developing supportive circumstances that encourage the startup’s success. This study aims to investigate the impact of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on startups’ success and the variables that could play a mediating role in the relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystem and startups’ success. The research is based on face-to-face and online semi-structured interviews (the interview guide consisted of 9 open-ended questions) from second quarter of 2023 until the end of the third quarter of 2023 (the data collection phase was closed after meeting the criteria of data saturation). The participants were selected via purposeful sampling technique (20 owners or managers of startup companies including IT, customer service, food, transportation, etc. in Egypt). Thematic and content analysis is done by using NVivo software. From the analysis of the interviews, four themes are developed, and each theme consists of several codes. The first theme is the entrepreneurial ecosystem, with codes: competence development, education and training, enterprising culture and leadership, financial support, government policies and regulations, market openness, and intermediary services. The second theme is entrepreneurial characteristics, with codes: self-efficacy, entrepreneurial attitude, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial innovation. The third theme is entrepreneurial challenges, with codes: fierce competition, failure to plan and unrealistic expectations, knowledge and skills gaps, and ineffective marketing. The fourth theme is startup success, with codes: productivity, financial performance, and competitive advantage. This study found, that some elements are unimportant for startup’s ecosystem: government programs and support, commercial and professional infrastructure for entrepreneurs, and access to physical infrastructure for entrepreneurship. At the same time, the study confirmed that education and training, enterprising culture and leadership, financial support, government policies and regulations, and market openness are unimportant for startup’s ecosystem. Moreover, it is found that such elements as competence development and intermediate services should be additionally included in the ecosystem. From this study, the model that investigates the relationship between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and startup success was developed. Finally, some recommendations provided to decision-makers and current and future research.

An investigation of technological innovation and tourism industrial structure upgrading as drivers of tourism economic growth

AbstractThis study focuses on the drivers of tourism economic growth with technological innovation and tourism industrial structure upgrading as the key predictors. An empirical study was done with panel data of 71 countries for 1996–2016. Three‐stage least squares (3SLS) regression with cross‐sectional fixed effects was applied to estimate the parameters. The results suggest that both predictors are the driving force for tourism economic growth. Moreover, the results reveal that technological innovation has significant negative effects on tourism industrial structure upgrading. This suggests that if technological development is not firmly anchored in the regional economic development, any one‐sided pursuit of technological innovation can produce a “decoupling” effect, which constrains the upgrading of tourism industrial structure. The study has important practical implications for policy formulation to sustain long‐term development of the tourism economy.

The Policy of Cross Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone and the Growth of Urban Total Factor Productivity — Empirical Testing Based on Double Difference Method

Since the establishment of the first pilot zone in 2015, China’s cross border e-commerce has rapidly developed, becoming a new engine driving international trade. This paper delves into the impact of China’s cross border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones on urban total factor productivity. The paper first provides an overview of the development trajectory and current status of cross border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones and analyzes the potential mechanisms through which these pilot zones might affect urban TFP. Utilizing data from 70 major cities between 2011 and 2019, the study employs a Difference-in-Differences approach to evaluate the impact of the pilot zone policies on urban TFP growth. The results indicate that the establishment of pilot zones significantly enhances urban TFP growth rates, with more pronounced effects in the eastern regions. The regional heterogeneity test reveals that the pilot zones positively influence TFP growth in the eastern and central regions, while the impact on the western and northeastern regions is not significant. Robustness checks further confirm the significance of the policy effects. Based on the findings, the paper proposes policy recommendations, including strengthening policy support, enhancing infrastructure development, reinforcing technological innovation capabilities, and promoting regional coordinated development to fully leverage the role of cross border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in boosting urban TFP and driving high-quality economic development. Overall, this paper provides empirical evidence for understanding how cross border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones enhance urban TFP through technological innovation and policy support, offering important insights for optimizing relevant policies and promoting regional economic development.

A dataset of spatio-temporal variations in the Pinglu Canal region from 2000 to 2023

The canal is a crucial water transportation channel for regional development, serving not only as a corridor for the circulation of goods but also as a vital link fostering the sustainable development of regional society, economy, and environment. The construction and operation of the canal are directly related to the development of the areas along its route. As one of the significant projects in the Western Land-Sea New Channel, the Pinglu Canal boasts enormous potential for social and economic benefits. Environmental factors are integral to ensuring the sustainability of regional development along the route. To conduct an environmental assessment of the canal basin and meet the requirements for monitoring regional spatio-temporal characteristic changes, we define the basin and administrative divisions of the Pinglu Canal region as the scope of the study area in the paper. By integrating currently available data on various factors including social, economic, and environmental aspects, we employed a standardized grid methodology to obtain a kilometer-level multidimensional, spatiotemporally consistent digital environmental dataset for the canal. The environmental dataset comprises four major categories of parameters: hydro-meteorological, ecological environment, atmospheric quality, and socio-economic. In total, it encompasses 26 sets of parameters, with 19 sets related to the watershed and 7 sets associated with township delineations. All parameters in the dataset are publicly accessible and have undergone rigorous data quality assessments. Leveraging these 26 sets of parameters, we conducted spatiotemporal characteristic analysis on 14 sets of long-time series parameters. We calculated the average annual variation of each parameter, and made 5 data files for the research area. This dataset can facilitate regional data visualization, comprehensive environmental assessments of the canal region, digital twinning of the applications, and provide a data foundation for future research on canal management and sustainable development research in the region.

A dataset of the 1 km-grid road network density in China (2019)

Road network density is a basic index of evaluating regional road development scale and road network development degree. The measurement and monitoring of road network density (as a comprehensive characterization index) plays an important role in the assessment of regional traffic and economic development, and provide reference for urban road management and control measures, which is of great significance to urban planning and municipal management. In this paper, based on the vector data of railway land, highway land, urban and village road land and rail transit in the Third National Land Survey, we extracted the road center line, using the km-grade network production software, to obtain a dataset of the 1km-grid road network density in China in 2019. Rigorous quality control and quality inspection measures throughout all stages of data processing have been implemented, including road surface vector extraction, road skeleton line extraction, and kilometer grid density calculation, to ensure the correctness, integrity and consistency of the data. This dataset can be used for the study on the preparation for the national territory development plan, the evaluation of plan implementation, the calculation of status factors for regional transportation development, and accessibility calculation.

Экономическая безопасность пространственного развития России

One of the acute problems of the modern development of Russia is the uneven development of territorial entities. The proposed study examines the existing problems in spatial development that do not meet the national interests of the country. The purpose of the study is to focus the attention of public authorities at the federal, regional and local levels on the existence of imbalances in the economic, social, and cultural development of territories and regions that do not protect the national and economic interests of Russia. It is noted that the existing spatial development strategy does not ensure the sustainable development of regions and a direct link between space and economic security has been identified. New approaches are proposed in the spatial development of the country in order to ensure economic security. The results of the study can be used by public authorities in strategic planning.