Luigi CAPOANI
Adjunct professor at the Department of Economics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
luigi.capoani@unive.it
Csaba LAKÓCAI
Research fellow at ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Institute of World Economics
lakocai.csaba@krtk.elte.hu
Abstract
The “Blue Banana”, spanning from the United Kingdom to Italy, has been symbolizing economic vitality in Europe. This paper reassesses its contemporary relevance by analyzing economic indicators and regional dynamics, particularly in Eastern and Mediterranean Europe, within the NUTS 2 framework. Leveraging Stewart’s concept of demographic energy and Moran’s spatial statistics, it introduces a robust methodology interweaving territorial and economic dynamics. By examining data layers, this study provides novel insights into the Blue Banana’s significance and its economic impact on Europe during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Furthermore, it illuminates the core area’s interconnections with adjacent economic zones and the emergence of prospective alternative spatial paradigms. The findings indicate that the majority of the Blue Banana regions have remained part of the prominent core area of Europe in terms of the most conventional regional economic indicators. However, emerging alternative spatial concentrations and a partial eastward shift are also visible.
Keywords: Blue Banana, Mediterranean Europe, Eastern Europe, spatial development, productivity
JEL classification: C1, N1, N9, R1, Y1
pp. 63-78