Robert Huggins - The Global Competitiveness of Regions

The Global Competitiveness of Regions

The aim of this book is to consider theoretically the notion of the global competitiveness of regions, as well as to give attention as to how such competitiveness may be empirically measured. With this in mind, the book has three specific objectives: first, to place the concept of regional competitiveness within the context of regional economic development theory; second, to present a rationale and method for quantifying the global competitiveness of regions; and, third, to undertake the most geographically widespread analysis of regional competitiveness differences across the globe. With regard to the third goal, the analysis incorporates more than 500 regions across Europe, North and South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the so-called BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

The importance of the concept of competitiveness has increased rapidly in recent years, with the issues surrounding it becoming, simultaneously, more empirically refined and theoretically complex. The focus on regions reflects the growing consensus that they are the primary spatial units that compete to attract investment, and it is at the regional level that knowledge is circulated and transferred, resulting in agglomerations, or clusters, of industrial and service sector enterprises. This growing acknowledgement of the regions role as a key spatial unit of organisation has led to attention turning to competitiveness at a more regional level.

The book explores the results of the World Competitiveness Index of Regions (WCIR), covering the rankings and results of the 2014 edition. The WCIR provides a tool for analysing the development of a range of regional economies across the globe. It enables an illustration of the changing patterns of regional competitiveness on the international stage to be generated. In fundamental terms, the WCIR aims to produce an integrated and overall benchmark of the knowledge capacity, capability, and sustainability of each region, and the extent to which this knowledge is translated into economic value and transferred into the wealth of the citizens of each region.

Robert Huggins is Professor of Economic Geography at the School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff University, and Director of its Centre for Economic Geography.

Hiro Izushi is a Senior Lecturer in the Innovation, Economics and Strategy Group, Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK.

Daniel Prokop is currently studying for a PhD at the School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff University. He previously worked as a research associate in the Centre for International Competitiveness, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales.

Piers Thompson is a Lecturer in Economics within Nottingham Trent University, UK.

Regions and Cities

Editor in Chief:

Susan M. Christopherson,Cornell University, USA

Editors:

Maryann Feldman,University of Georgia, USA

Gernot Grabher,HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany

Ron Martin,University of Cambridge, UK

Martin Perry,Massey University, New Zealand

In todays globalised, knowledge-driven and networked world, regions and cities have assumed heightened significance as the interconnected nodes of economic, social and cultural production, and as sites of new modes of economic and territorial governance and policy experimentation. This book series brings together incisive and critically engaged international and interdisciplinary research on this resurgence of regions and cities, and should be of interest to geographers, economists, sociologists, political scientists and cultural scholars, as well as to policy-makers involved in regional and urban development.

For more information on the Regional Studies Association visit www.regionalstudies.org

There is a 30% discount available to RSA members on books in the Regions and Cities series, and other subject related Taylor and Francis books and e-books including Routledge titles. To order just e-mail alex.robinson@tandf.co.uk, or phone on +44 (0) 20 7017 6924 and declare your RSA membership. You can also visit www.routledge.com and use the discount code: RSA0901.

75. The Global Competitiveness of Regions

Robert Huggins, Hiro Izushi, Daniel Prokop and Piers Thompson

74. The Social Dynamics of Innovation Networks

Edited by Roel Rutten, Paul Benneworth, Dessy Irawati and Frans Boekema

73. The European Territory

From historical roots to global challenges

Jacques Robert

72. Urban Innovation Systems

What makes them tick? Willem van Winden, Erik Braun, Alexander Otgaar and Jan-Jelle Witte

71. Shrinking Cities

A global perspective

Edited by Harry W. Richardson and Chang Woon Nam

70. Cities, State and Globalization

City-regional governance in Europe and North America

Tassilo Herrschel

69. The Creative Class Goes Global

Edited by Charlotta Mellander, Richard Florida, Bjrn Asheim and Meric Gertler

68. Entrepreneurial Knowledge, Technology and the Transformation of Regions

Edited by Charlie Karlsson, Brje Johansson and Roger Stough

67. The Economic Geography of the IT Industry in the Asia Pacific Region

Edited by Philip Cooke, Glen Searle and Kevin OConnor

66. Working Regions

Reconnecting innovation and production in the knowledge economy

Jennifer Clark

65. Europes Changing Geography

The impact of inter-regional networks

Edited by Nicola Bellini and Ulrich Hilpert

64. The Value of Arts and Culture for Regional Development

A Scandinavian perspective

Edited by Lisbeth Lindeborg and Lars Lindkvist

63. The University and the City

John Goddard and Paul Vallance

62. Re-framing Regional Development

Evolution, innovation and transition

Edited by Philip Cooke

61. Networking Regionalised Innovative Labour Markets

Edited by Ulrich Hilpert and Helen Lawton Smith

60. Leadership and Change in Sustainable Regional Development

Edited by Markku Sotarauta, Ina Horlings and Joyce Liddle

59. Regional Development Agencies: The Next Generation?

Networking, knowledge and regional policies

Edited by Nicola Bellini, Mike Danson and Henrik Halkier

58. Community-based Entrepreneurship and Rural Development

Creating favourable conditions for small businesses in Central Europe

Matthias Fink, Stephan Loidl and Richard Lang

57. Creative Industries and Innovation in Europe

Concepts, measures and comparative case studies

Edited by Luciana Lazzeretti

56. Innovation Governance in an Open Economy

Shaping regional nodes in a globalized world

Edited by Annika Rickne, Staffan Laestadius and Henry Etzkowitz

55. Complex Adaptive Innovation Systems

Relatedness and transversality in the evolving region

Philip Cooke

54. Creating Knowledge Locations in Cities

Innovation and integration challenges

Willem van Winden, Luis de Carvalho, Erwin van Tujil, Jeroen van Haaren and Leo van den Berg

53. Regional Development in Northern Europe