Since 1990, Asia was the fastest-rising market of global airline transportation in an area. Due to the demand of airline passenger and the volume of freight transportation in this area have increased apparently and also have potential demand, so a lot of Asian countries have followed to open up the new airport or have enlarged the existing facilities incessantly to meet this trend, and they always look forward to becoming the main international pivot airport in the area by these efforts. For the reason to response the trend of environmental changes and to impel the improvement of the airport¡¦s competitiveness, the Legislative Organization of Republic of China had approved ¡§The regulations of International airport garden¡¦s development ¡§at 2009. By this process, it has encouraged the competitiveness of the airport to become an important topic in Taiwan, and has also opened the Taiwanese's cognition about the competition of International airport. The purpose of this research includes: First, try to build up and construct the assessment index which can influence airport competitiveness and index weight via the arrangement of numerous literatures. Second, analyze the assessment project of the urban competitiveness to find out about the relation among the airport and urban competitiveness. Third, draft the basis of the development tactics for the Kaohsiung International airport by comparing the diversity of competitiveness in all respects among Kaohsiung International airport, Taipei airport and Xiamen airport. This research uses the study mode of professional questionnaires, and chooses government officials that have the background of management for air transportation and city development, scholar or airport users to fill out the questionnaire. By the way, this research by the analytical method of Analytic Hierarchy Process,¡]AHP¡^, can calculate each composition in structural frame and weight value of index, and then utilize the simple weighting method to compare the diversity of airport competitiveness among Kaohsiung, Taipei and Xiamen. We find that via the result of this study: First, in the aspect of building the evaluated index in airport competitiveness: The" safety "' is the most important item for assessing airport competitiveness, secondly in order is" management"',"' service ", "space" and "installations". However, the "demand" is the lowest important item that influences the airport competitiveness. Second, in analyzing the relation among competitiveness of airport and urban: There are the difference between main assessment and emphasized items for urban and airport competitiveness, but there are the relevance among the subsidiary index items of assessment. This demonstrates that between airport and urban competitiveness still has the characteristic to promote competitiveness each other. Third, in the aspect of carrying on the positive analysis to Kaohsiung, Taipei and Xiamen airport to draft the development tactics: (1) By the analysis of scenario analysis for the airport competitiveness among the Kaohsiung, Taipei and Xiamen airport, can find that the most competitiveness airport is Xiamen airport at the present stage. Moreover, the competitiveness for Kaohsiung airport is between Xiamen and Taipei airport in this competitiveness analysis result. (2) To improve the airport competitiveness of Kaohsiung, it can be achieved by strengthening it in the position of pivot traffic, improving the transport facilities, outside traffic and service of the airport, setting up logistics and Convention and Exhibition Center, strengthening marketing tactics, improving the political environment, cooperating with the tourism policy of country, strengthening relevant industries etc..

The purpose of this research is to build city competitiveness evaluating models through structural equation model(SEM) by using data of 5 cities and 14 counties of Taiwan. According to literature review, the research choses three dimensions for city competitiveness: economic, living environment and education. Belongs to three dimensions, there are 18 indexes to evaluate city competitiveness. By using five steps Confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), the explained variance of three dimensions are more than 50%, which economic model is 58%, living environment model is 61% and education model is 62%. Although fitness indexes of two order confirmatory factor analysis are under 0.9, but composite reliability(CR) 0.9486 is more than 0.7, and average variance extracted(AVE) 0.6307 is more than 0.5, these mean the model of research is representative to some extent. Finally, the research offered some suggestions for future researchers.

In the two last decades, the cities were within the transformation period of their economic and spatial structure in order to be adapted to competitive global system. In addition, the decrease of industry sector and its decentralization to outer city, increase of service sector with the help of technological developments and its centralization are the core assets of the globalization. In compatible with the socio-spatial and economical aspects of globalization phenomenon, the structural transformation of industry in Istanbul that is the most important production center of Turkey, are on the agenda. In the light with these arguments, this thesis study aims to highlight the relocation tendency of industry in Istanbul with reference to the impact and context of globalization. In this thesis, in order to determine the relocation tendency of the position of industries and sub-sectors, the questionnaire that prepared by Istanbul Metropolitan Planning Center is taken as the base data source. In compatible with the analysis that derives from this questionnaire / the industry sub-sectors, firms sizes, their spatial distributions and their tendencies to relocate or to decentralize their production sites will be clarified.

Comments and Discussions : Hitoshi HIRAKAWA

Industrial Networks and Foreign Direct Investment: The Study of Taiwan¡¦s Steel Industry Abstract Facing the changing environment, many Taiwan businesses try to achieve economy of scale and develop their markets by taking foreign direct investment (FDI), especially under poor macroeconomic conditions in Taiwan and the driving force of cheap costs from developing countries. Conventionally, it is considered that big firms take FDI to bring their specific advantages into foreign markets. From the view of industrial networks, FDI is a method for firms to set up a linkage with foreign networks. They need not establish foreign networks by themselves. They can establish and utilize foreign networks through FDI. The steel industry is capital and technology intensive, and with high entry barriers in nature. The industrial networks are very important to a steel firm because it is very difficult to attain all the production resources. The key success factor is the competence to grasp the production resources so as to obtain cost advantages and synergy. In the past decade, facing lack of labor, increasing land cost, and market pull, the down-stream firms took FDI dramatically. The middle- and up-stream firms are also eager to do so. Because of the huge investment scale and other limitations, it is not easy for upstream firms to take FDI. Even China Steel Corporation (CSC) has overcome a lot of obstacles in the past decade and finally acquired ORNA Steel in Malaysia to establish a bridgehead in Southeastern Asia. From the view of industrial networks, this study tries, first, to investigate the network change of the firms of Taiwan¡¦s steel industry after taking FDI, and next examine the change of competitiveness and ways of attaining profit. We construct a model which divides them into four types of firms and their ways of attaining profits. They are: flagship type industry/profit sharing, clan type industry/profit shifting, lone knight type industry/profit capturing, stragglers type industry/profit disappearing. Then, we use this model to examine cases of Taiwan¡¦s up, middle, and down stream steel industry in a dynamic way. Finally, we propose some recommendations for the government and steel industry to improve the competitiveness of the steel industry.

Abstract Because of the motorbike market¡¦s atrophy in Taiwan from 1997,domestic motorbike companies must face it and change their strategies. This is a kind of unavoidable trend. Some of them developed new oversea markets, such as Europe, America, Japan etc. Some of them choose another different way, such as diversification. When these companies devote themselves to some kind of new domains, there are some serious questions which need to think about, such as ¡§What is the new model of development? ¡¨, ¡§What kind of business should we devote to? ¡¨,¡§Should we devote to related business or unrelated business? ¡¨, ¡§What is the related strategies? ¡¨, etc. This research will focus on the processes of strategy development. In other words, we will concern some agendas. Just as: ¡§Which business should we choose when our company devote ourselves to related business? ¡¨, ¡§Why do you determine it? ¡¨, ¡§How do you develop its strategy? ¡¨, etc. The research also strongly suggests that a series of effective strategies almost are based on the core competitiveness of enterprise. Because of the difference among different businesses, companies also have to develop its own unique strategies. This thesis will get a motorbike company, ¡§KYMCO ¡¨motor company, as a research target. We will explore further these questions.

China has been a popular place for investment since it opened market in 1980¡¦s. Firms need to consider how to use inner and outer factors to gain competitiveness in this furious competition. This research is using a qualitative approach and case details were collected from firms which operate in China for years. This research aims to discover the relationship between firms¡¦ inner factors which are organizational capital types, strategic human capital management practices, and corporate entrepreneurship capability, and how they affect organizational competitiveness. Besides, this research also adds in the effect of institutional environment to find out how it influences those inner resources. Findings reveal that environmental factors are influencing firms¡¦ corporate entrepreneurship capability, but the effect is different in different industries and ownerships. For foreign investment, the effect is weak and negative; for local high-tech firms, the effect is strong and positive; for local service firms, the effect is huge and negative. Moreover, organizational capital types and strategic human capital management practices are influenced by institutional environment. Organizational capital is positively influencing corporate entrepreneurship and influencing selection of strategic human capital management practices, and even positively affecting organizational competitiveness. However, corporate entrepreneurship capability is influenced by organizational capital types and strategic human capital management practices and further affecting organizational competitive ability.

To figure out the strengths of city growth is always the central issue of the regional economy development scholars. Cities are the centers of the civilization. With the rapid changes of modern time and industries, creativity has already become one of the strongest driving forces behind economic growth. To creat creative city not only to attract the talents to the city but also to resolve the city problems. So the concept of creative city is the urban planning paragon. The thesis is established on the theory of globalization, world city, creative city, creative industries theories. It¡¦s mainly based on creative theory, uses the Delphi Method and tries to establish the supporting dimensions of creative city that suits to Taiwan area.

Sebbene le regioni (territori che ospitano comunità integrate di abitanti, attività economiche ed istituzioni) siano diventati attori fondamentali dell'economia internazionale, le scienze economiche non sono ancora in grado di fornire un modello capace di interpretare le dinamiche economiche e fornire supporto alle politiche. Il motivo di questo limite è che gli approcci tradizionali non riescono a modellizare la complessità che caratterizza le economie regionali. Il progetto di ricerca si è dunque posto l'obiettivo di discutere tale complessità e verificare la possibilità di fornire un controfattuale. L'analisi ha tenuto in conto l'eterogeneità degli agenti e l'effetto di shock esogeni. Inoltre si è discusso come, a causa della complessità, i policy-makers siano confrontati alla difficoltà di predisporre politiche capaci di anticipare gli shock endogeni ed esogeni. I risultati teorici sono stati utilizzati, in parte, per analizzare la regione metropolitana di Madrid. In particolare si è analizzata la capacità locale di riprodurre una dinamica di crescita. I risultati indicano che anche regioni che attraversano cicli positivi hanno la necessità di ottimizzare l'utilizzo dei fattori di produzione e specializzare la propria economia in settori sostenuti dalla domanda internazionale. Una eccessiva specializzazione in settori non-tradable può, infatti, mettere in discussione la sostenibilità della crescita. / Regions (territories hosting integrated communities of citizens, firms, and institutions) have become key actors within the International economy, yet conventional economics cannot provide a model to explain local dynamics and to support policy-making. Such limit is due to complexity characterizing regional economies. Therefore, the present research aims at assessing complexity in regions and verifying the possibility of modelling regional economies. to assess regional economies, The research takes into account heterogeneity of agents as well as exogenous shocks. Moreover the research focuses on the effect of complexity on policy-making. Because of complexity, to be effective, regional policy has to take into account local and external shocks. Such theoretical background is partly used to assess the metropolitan region of Madrid. The empirical analysis shows that even a successful region can be challenged by the sustainability of economic growth. To enhance its international competitiveness, the region has to improve the use of local factors of production and to increase its specialization in sectors that are traded on the international market. An excessive specialization in non-tradable goods may, in fact, challenge growth sustainability.

<p>According to the Globalizations Council the most important task Sweden has is to assess the opportunities and challenges presented by the global economy to a small, open country like Sweden. There has been dual competition, some has been able to sell the resource services of human and physical knowledge capital, and others offering to sell unskilled labor at wages way below Swedish standards. This thesis will examine the changes in market position in the manufacturing sector, and how comparative advantage and the role of technology have impacted the changes.</p><p>The empirical analysis is based on the relative international competitiveness index to examine how market position in different sectors has changed during the time-period 1985-2003. In the regression measures for human and physical capital has been included as well as R&D expenditure for both Sweden and the OECD countries.</p><p>The results show that the changes in market position for most products are relatively small. What can be concluded is that it is not the sector as a whole that experience improving market positions instead it is certain products such as pharmaceutical, sulphate and electronic components among others.</p><p>Sweden ranks very high in terms of resources dedicated to production of new technology and there are proofs on both side of the "Swedish Paradox"; which states that high technology exports are low given the high R&D investment.</p><p>The result also indicates that Sweden has a labor-intensive disadvantage, i.e. indications that the market position for industries with high total capital-intensity has increased.</p>