Long-run effects of regional policy in an economic union

Regional policy in economic unions (e.g. in the European Union) is usually conducted with the objective of overcoming regional disparities. By developing a two-regional growth model with endogenous technological change, we address the long-term implications of regional policy measures. We show that regional policies aiming to support the less-developed region do not only change the location of production between the regions but also affect the overall growth performance of the union. By altering the incentive to accumulate knowledge capital, regional policies influence the steady-state growth rate. Our analysis shows that a potential trade-off between regional equity and dynamic efficiency exists.     

A look behind the curtain: Measuring the complex economic effects of regional structural funds in Germany

This paper investigates the mutual impact channels of Germany's major regional policy instrument (GRW) on regional economic development. Different from earlier studies which have predominately focused on a partial assessment of output effects, we explicitly endogenize the factor inputs of the underlying production function. This allows us to comprehensively assess the role of the GRW in driving per capita output, employment, human and physical capital intensities as well as the region's technological growth. The results from a spatial panel vector autoregressive model show that GRW funding has significant positive effects on regional output, the employment rate and human capital intensity.     

Modelling the geography of economic activities on a continuous space

In the present article we propose a spatial micro econometric approach for studying the geographical concentration of economic activities. We analyse the incentives to use this approach rather than the traditional one based on regional aggregates. As an example, we present our prototypical theoretic model – to be seen as a continuous space version of Krugman's concentration model – that includes birth, survival and growth components. We present a numerical estimation of the birth model for a set of data referring to the concentration of the manufacturing industries in the San Marino Republic. Received: 18 May 1998 / Accepted: 12 March 2001     

Factors influencing the space-time lags of regional economic adjustment

Studies of the relationship between national and regional fluctuations have often found evidence of consistent space-time lags in regional economic adjustment. Some researchers have argued that depressed and peripheral regions take longer to adjust to national fluctuations than more central and prosperous regions. In this paper, a series of hypotheses are suggested to account for variations in space-time economic adjustments at the local level. The spatial and temporal transmission of market outcomes, uncertainty and the role of money are shown to be particularly important determinants of adjustment regardless of industrial location patterns. Emphasis is placed on inventory adjustments and unanticipated changes in sales by firms operating under conditions of imperfect competition. Following Hicks, the model is dependent upon fix-price quantity adjustment assumptions and is primarily short-run oriented.The author wishes to acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation (Grant SOC 79-09370). Thanks to Brian Berry and Michael Goldberg.     

西安区域经济发展研究

针对西安地区区域经济发展的现状,从不同角度提出了西安区域经济发展的主要问题和矛盾,并针对问题提出了相应的若干建议和意见,促进中国西部地区与邻国之间的经济贸易发展。     

Measuring regional economic efficiency: the case of Greek prefectures

This paper, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), measures for the first time the economic growth policies of the Greek prefectures. Based on the neoclassical model of growth it uses private and public investments and labour force as inputs and GDP per capita as output for the time period of 2003–2006. The results indicate that there are significant regional policies inefficiencies among the Greek prefectures. Additionally, growth inefficiencies within the 13 administrative regions are reported. Finally, the analysis provides benchmarks for policy evaluation and suggestions for region-based approaches to growth problems.     

The paradox of unequal regional investment and equal regional economic growth in China

China's policy on Special Economic Zones has attracted increasing flows of direct foreign investment to China. The investment has been very unequally distributed among China's 30 regions.  The article focuses on the regional economic growth as a result of the direct foreign investment in the region and its spillover effects on neighboring regions. The unequal distribution of direct foreign investment should in principle tend to enlarge the regional economic differences. The article, however, shows that this is not the result of the investment.  The empirical findings highlight the impact of direct foreign investment on the Chinese regional economies in transition. Received: November 2000/Accepted: August 2001     

Modelling the impacts of payments for biodiversity conservation on regional land-use patterns

We present a land-use allocation model that evaluates the impact of payments for ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation on land-use patterns. In a non-linear optimisation procedure, land use is allocated at farm level, taking into account risk behaviour, and spatial as well as temporal variability of net revenues of land-use alternatives, using a spatial resolution of 29 m × 29 m. The model is applied to a study area of 30 km × 34 km in western Ecuador, considered a hotspot for biodiversity. In this coffee growing region, agroforestry systems with shade-coffee are important for biodiversity conservation at the landscape level, but under pressure due to low revenues. Through scenario analyses, we analyse the effects of price premiums per kg, payments per ha, and price buffering for coffee, as well as incentives leading to coffee yield increases, and payments per ha of forest remnants. We compare different risk aversion levels of the involved agents. We conclude that payments per ha are more efficient to maintain or increase coffee areas than payments per kg. Price buffering may be the most cost-effective way to support coffee production, especially at high-risk aversion levels. Significant yield increases are necessary to make coffee more attractive compared to the other alternatives. Relatively low payments per ha of forest can significantly increase forested land. Risk behaviour turns out to be an important factor when determining the possible effect of payments for ecosystem services. We conclude that the model is a versatile tool to support planning of payments for conserving ecosystems.     

Methodological aspects of impact analysis of regional economic policy

In this paper methodological aspects of impact analysis of regional economic policy are discussed. The first part of the paper deals primarily with conceptual notions and considers impact analysis as part of the comprehensive process of policy evaluation. Given this frame of reference, a detailed conceptual framework for impact analysis is outlined. In the second part of this paper measurement methods are classified into micro and macro studies. The latter class is then further subdivided according to the structure and contents of the impact model at hand. The advantages and weaknesses of each method are evaluated. Finally, an overview of the choice of an appropriate measurement method, given the circumstances under which a specific type of effect of a given kind of instrument has to be measured, is given. This is followed by some general conclusions on impact assessment.     

A labor market based theory of regional economic development

The Borts and Stein (1964) theory of regional economic growth and development has been widely accepted and discussed in regional economic development literature. Given their assumption that labor demand conditions are invariant between regions and that the labor demand is highly wage elastic, they conclude that regional growth is primarily supply driven and differences in growth among regions arise due to differences in the growth of labor supply assuming that wage elasticity of labor supply is the same across regions. Muth (1968, 1971) claims to have verified the Borts and Steins (BS) conclusion. We propose a regional labor market based model of economic development similar to BS with certain modifications in assumptions and show that the Borts-Stein-Muth (BSM) conclusion is based upon a narrow view of labor demand and supply elasticities. Our theory demonstrates that regional development is mainly labor demand driven once we adopt a broader view of elasticities. The broader view incorporates the direct effect of wages on labor supply and labor demand as well as the indirect effects of wages through changes in inmigration and firms' formations in a region. Received: March 1998/Accepted: August 1998     

议校企一体化合作办学对区域经济发展的作用

以沙洲职业工学院建筑工程技术专业与江苏德丰建设集团的深度合作为例,介绍了双方的合作模式以及取得的成果,并结合自身的经验给出了校企一体化合作办学的发展方向。     

长江三角洲区域经济发展合作分析

长三角地区是我国经济最发达的地区之一，特别是进入20世纪90年代以来，其发展速度一直处于领先地位。随着经济的不断发展，省与省、城市与城市之间难免会出现这样那样的矛盾．而这些矛盾产生的根源都无疑是经济发展和地区利益。文章从长三角地区发展中存在的问题出发．并结合以往城市、区域合作的经验．提出了长三角区域城市合作的一些建议。     

Talent, creativity and regional economic performance: the case of China

This paper investigates the geographic distribution of talent and its associations with innovation, entrepreneurship and regional economic performance in China. Two types of talent are examined: human capital in terms of the educational attainment and the creative class in terms of the occupational skill. Explanatory variables of the talent distribution cover both market factors (jobs and wage levels) and non-market factors (amenities, openness and the university). The results of correlation analysis and multivariate analysis show that the university is the single most important factor that affects the talent distribution in China. Wage levels, service amenities and openness also contribute to talent attraction but to different extents. Furthermore, human capital outweighing the creative class exhibits positive effects on innovation, entrepreneurship and regional economic performance. Openness presents a direct influence not only on talent stock, but on innovation and regional economic performance as well. Explanations of empirical results in the Chinese context are offered.     

关于中心城市推动区域经济一体化发展的分析

以佩鲁的增长极理论为基础,分析了中国城市群中心城市对区域经济的推动作用,针对我国城市群的发展现状和存在的问题,提出了区域经济一体化发展的基本对策。