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Competitiveness, Clusters and Policy at the Regional Level: Rhetoric vs. Practice in Designing Policy for Depressed Regions

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  • Argentino Pessoa

    (CEF.UP, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto)

Abstract

This paper reviews the most important theoretical foundations of the spatial competitiveness conception, dealing with three levels of competitiveness: the country, the region and the tourism destination. Consequently, it draws attention to the main aspects that such concepts of competitiveness must include and it links the regional competitiveness with the related concept of cluster. Therefore, section 2 reviews the key aspects of competitiveness at the first level highlighting the role of the main forces acting at the national level. Section 3 extends the concept to the regional level, highlighting the critical aspects that must be considered when policy tries to increase the competitiveness of a particular region. Section 4 analyses the possibilities of extending the competitiveness concept to tourism destinations. Next, the paper analyses the literature on policy advice and discuss the inconsistency between the theory and the policy designed to promote regional competitiveness. Finally, the paper presents some concluding remarks on regional policy applied to depressed regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Argentino Pessoa, 2010. "Competitiveness, Clusters and Policy at the Regional Level: Rhetoric vs. Practice in Designing Policy for Depressed Regions," FEP Working Papers 386, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    • Handle: RePEc:por:fepwps:386
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    Cited by:

    1. Raisa M. IVANOVA & Olga V. SKROBOTOVA & Nadezhda K. MARTYNENKO & Olga S. TAMER & Anatoly V. KOZLOV, 2021. "Environmental Cooperation As A Way Of Developing Eco-Tourism In The Arctic Region," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(1), pages 69-79, June.
    2. Guliak Roman, 2017. "New Resonance Approach to Competitiveness Interventions in Lagging Regions: The Case of Ukraine before the Armed Conflict," Review of Economic Perspectives, Sciendo, vol. 17(1), pages 25-56, March.
    3. Nadezda Vasilievna SEDOVA & Lidia Sergeevna ARKHIPOVA & Darya Mikhailovna MELNIKOVA & Irina Fedorovna ALESHINA, 2022. "Digitalization Of Economy And Living Standards Of Population In Russian Regions," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(1), pages 47-65, June.
    4. Argentino Pessoa, 2012. "Regional cluster policy: key features and critical issues," ERSA conference papers ersa12p250, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Kostadinović Ivana & Jovanović Violeta & Stanković Sunčica, 2023. "Do Industrial Clusters Contribute to Organizations’ Innovation Performance? Path Analysis," Economic Themes, Sciendo, vol. 61(3), pages 387-406, September.
    6. Argentino Pessoa, 2011. "Externalities, clusters and economic growth: The Cluster Policy Paradox," ERSA conference papers ersa11p896, European Regional Science Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    clusters; competitiveness; regional policy; tourism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • R19 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Other
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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