Development perspectives of STRING: How to form a thriving, sustainable and resilient megaregion

STRING (South Western Baltic Sea Transregional Region - Implementing New Geography) is a regional cooperation of urban centers and regions in the Nordic countries and Northern Germany. The study shows that the member countries of STRING have developed dynamically over the last decades, both economically and institutionally. Economic growth has been driven by the urban agglomerations, but the less densely populated areas have benefitted as well. Altogether, STRING seems on a stable growth trajectory. The analyses suggest that STRING may well be on the way to integrating into a mega-region in the sense of theory. However, national borders still provide significant obstacles to economic exchange within the STRING region. The authors observe that the STRING organization provides a suitable institutional framework for mitigating administrative barriers to economic exchange by improving coordination between the local and regional decisionmakers. Still, they conclude that the heterogenous membership structure of STRING may complicate its further integration, due to differing interests, competencies, and resources. Based on their findings, they suggest a two-sided approach: On the one hand, strengthening the mandate of the STRING Secretariat as an agency in policy areas of universal interest, specifically vis-à-vis national governments and the European Union. On the other hand, allowing for optionality in the members' involvement in cooperative projects.