This thesis focuses on regional strategic networks (RSNs). RSNs are used as a tool for regional development with a view to strengthening regional relationship-development and networking by forming regional groups of actors. The thesis aims to clarify the nature of RSNs and the value of geographical proximity in both theoretical and practical terms. Theories regarding effects of geographical proximity, regional agglomerations and networks are presented, and their possible application to RSNs is analyzed. Furthermore, findings from two case studies are reported. In the RSN study, the generally most highly valued outcome was the development of new relationships among the participants. Such relationships allowed for mutual learning and information exchange and also meant that for several participants the firms’ horizons were extended and their positions changed. Furthermore, internal marketing of training opportunities, in combination with financial subsidies, attracted several participants who attended training programmes on subjects that they would not otherwise have spent so much time on. However, few firms could state concrete results in terms of new business exchange or cooperative projects. The impact of structural factors on RSN outcomes is therefore discussed, in particular the impact of the membership composition of an RSN. Furthermore, important RSN-evaluation challenges are highlighted. The second study demonstrated that most R&D done by firms is characterized either by incremental, gradual technology development and low importance of geographical proximity to customers, suppliers and academic research organizations or by fast, step-wise technology development and high importance of geographical proximity to customers, suppliers and academic research organizations.

Innovation and regional development are two topics that were (separately) very much discussed by scholars, and in recent literature there have been attempts to combine and show how the former can contribute to the latter. At the same time, different types of regional agglomeration systems have been developed and discussed such as: clusters, hubs, innovation systems, technopolies, and knowledge cities. However, there is a significant gap in literature when it comes to innovation zones. As a result, there is a need to look into the role of innovation zones in regional development and examine the possible benefits (if any) that the innovation zones can provide to the region to which they are affiliated   . / MASTERS THESIS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Abstract and summary The glocal province of competence. The regional building up of knowledge at Växjö University and its choice of home region. The aim of the study is to give views on knowledge and to describe and discuss which home region Växjö University has chosen as its context. Taking my point of departure in the literature and in examples, I illustrate, discuss and examine how three different disciplines at the university have chosen their home regions. The disciplines are history, economics and biology. The study covers the last 33 years. The empirical study, with its focus only on regional matters, is based on four sources. 1. Research and researchers 2. Education and the impact it has as shown by the papers written by students at bachelor and master levels. In all 459 papers have been classified 3. Interviews with the professors 4. The University’s annual report given by the board of directors. The study centres on the diverse and complex characteristics of regions which leads to a variation of regions used by different actors at the university. One aspect is the consideration of the relationship between formal and everyday knowledge. The three disciplines have different attitudes towards home region and towards how it is constituted. Generally speaking, historians see the home region more as territory with the emphasis on the southern part of the province of Småland. The economists concentrate on home region as a functional arena, even though examples and studies sometimes are found in Småland. The biologists, who are in a new discipline at the university, sometimes study the southern part of Sweden, but focus on general aspects. All three of them are interested in interdisciplinary methods and studies in order to build up knowledge connected to the home region. The board of directors has not chosen one specific region and varies its attitudes over the years. The interviews gave a broad perspective on knowledge and regions and with views on a local and global world. A glocal region. Keywords; home region, regional development, knowledge, higher education, university.

Historically, the regional policies have been changed greatly in Mainland China ever since 1949. Since the ¡§Egalitarianism¡¨ in Mao, the ¡§ladder-step doctrine¡¨ in Deng, and the ¡§Western Investment Policy ¡§ in Jiang, each one possessed its own unique regional developing models. However, it is worth to note that the change of the models had deeply influenced the policies to determine the developing priority between coastal and inner regions. This article will focus on three questions. First, how the three different regional developing models had influenced the policies? And how the regional development had been influenced by those policies? Second, how the market system has an impact on the regional development in Mainland China? Finally, what kind of relationship existed between statecraft and market? And how did they interact each other?

The framework of this research is based on comparative analysis between nation¡Bregions and provinces in order to discuss differences of investment structure in the three levels and their economic development. Regionally, I divided China into three regions: eastern region, middle region, and western region. About the choice of provinces, I choose the provinces in eastern and western region, the two regions which have the greatest differences in economic development. I choose Guangdong and Fujian as the provinces in eastern region, and Sichuan¡BYunnan as the provinces in western region to discuss the provincial difference both in regions and between regions. I will analyze the amount of investment¡Beconomic types of investment and the origin of investment in the three levels to discuss their investment structural differences. Also I put in investment policy change of nation¡Bregions and provinces to discuss how different regions and provinces respond to these changes, the power rise and fall between central government and local government, and also the relation between politics and diversifications of investment.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between regional policy and regional state aid policy in the European Union and to evaluate the implications of this relationship on the transformation of the regional policy approach of both the EU and the member states with specific focus on the implications for Turkish regional policy in the process of EU accession. After providing a critical review of regional policy and regional state aid policy in the EU, this thesis lays out the possible alternatives for regional policy following the enlargement of the Union in 2004. The analysis shows that in the absence of a significant increase in the funding directed to regional policy at the EU level despite an increase in regional disparities and as a result of more strict regulations on regional state aids granted by member states / a trade-off exists, especially for less-prosperous member states, between national growth and reduction of regional disparities. Thus, achieving a proper balance between competitiveness and cohesion in the EU necessitates the coordination of national and EU level funding for regional development. The implications for Turkey is that in order to achieve national convergence with the EU in the short run and to reduce regional disparities in the long run, Turkey needs to revise its regional policy and regional state aid policy as to strategically coordinate national and EU regional policy funding.

<p>Abstract and summary</p><p>The glocal province of competence.</p><p>The regional building up of knowledge at Växjö University and its choice of home region.</p><p>The aim of the study is to give views on knowledge and to describe and discuss which home region Växjö University has chosen as its context. Taking my point of departure in the literature and in examples, I illustrate, discuss and examine how three different disciplines at the university have chosen their home regions. The disciplines are history, economics and biology. The study covers the last 33 years.</p><p>The empirical study, with its focus only on regional matters, is based on four sources. 1. Research and researchers 2. Education and the impact it has as shown by the papers written by students at bachelor and master levels. In all 459 papers have been classified 3. Interviews with the professors 4. The University’s annual report given by the board of directors.</p><p>The study centres on the diverse and complex characteristics of regions which leads to a variation of regions used by different actors at the university. One aspect is the consideration of the relationship between formal and everyday knowledge.</p><p>The three disciplines have different attitudes towards home region and towards how it is constituted. Generally speaking, historians see the home region more as territory with the emphasis on the southern part of the province of Småland. The economists concentrate on home region as a functional arena, even though examples and studies sometimes are found in Småland. The biologists, who are in a new discipline at the university, sometimes study the southern part of Sweden, but focus on general aspects. All three of them are interested in interdisciplinary methods and studies in order to build up knowledge connected to the home region. The board of directors has not chosen one specific region and varies its attitudes over the years.</p><p>The interviews gave a broad perspective on knowledge and regions and with views on a local and global world. A glocal region.</p><p>Keywords; home region, regional development, knowledge, higher education, university.</p>

This Master‘s final paper analyzes the Regional development governance in the context of civic society. The paper presents the results of theoretical and empirical surveys of Lithuanian and foreign scientists in the field of public participation in the regional development governance. To sustain the theoretical conclusions and to prove the hypothesis of this research work, there were questioned more than 700 people of Siauliai County. The first hypothesis of this research was confirmed partly, that it is not proper time to apply the governance from above (“bottom-up”) because of the specific Lithuanian postcommunist regimes. The second hypothesis was confirmed, that the estimations of the county’s population of the different fields of main sectors of Siauliai regional development were improved comparing the year of 2003 to 2005 because of the better economic development of the county during this period. The third hypothesis was confirmed partly, that the same estimations of all sectors mean that people are indifferent to the regional development governance.

As Albania is accelerating its preparations towards the European Union candidate status, numerous areas of public policy and practices undergo intensive development processes. Regional development policy is a very new area of public policy in Albania, and needs research and development. This study focuses on the process of sustainable development in Albania, by analyzing and comparing the regional development of regions of Tirana, Shkodra and Kukes. The methodology used consists of a literature/desk review; analytical and comparative approach; qualitative interviews; quantitative data collection; analysis. The research is organized in five chapters. First chapter provides an overview of the study framework. The second outlines the theory and scientific framework for sustainable and regional development in relation with geography. The third chapter presents the picture of the regional development in Albania, analyzing the disparities and regional development in the light of EU requirements and NUTS division. Chapter 4 continues by analyzing and comparing the regional development of the regions: Tirana – driver for change, Shkodra – the North in Development and Kukes – the “shrinking” region. Chapter 5 presents the conclusions and recommendations. This research comes to the conclusions that if growth in Albania is to be increased and sustained, a regional development policy needs to be established.

Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2006.