Tag: R58

PRODUCTIVE SPECIALIZATION AND CLUSTERS IN THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM OF NORTHERN PORTUGAL

Ana Paula DELGADO

Retired Professor, Faculty of Economics (FEP), University of Porto (UP)

a.p.delgado@sapo.pt

Teresa SEQUEIRA

Assistant Professor, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD); Researcher at the Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD).

tsequeir@utad.pt (Corresponding author)

Abstract

The Região Norte of Portugal is a region where the primary sector has historically played a significant role. It is generally an aging region, with a large area considered as low-density and with a low level of purchasing power, revealing deep asymmetries in terms of economic and social cohesion. This study aims to analyse the profile of the agri-food industry, that is, the food and beverage industries, in the north of Portugal in terms of productive specialization. This work started by collecting a set of variables such as employment, people employed, GVA and value of sales and services provided, depending on the level of disaggregation of the classification of economic activities and the availability of data. Based on this statistical data, location and specialization indicators were calculated, namely the location quotient. Then, using statistical software, clusters were built that enabled us to draw a picture of the agri-food system. This work was relevant to identifying the relative specialization of Norte NUTs III regions, the relative location of activities and the outlining of productive areas. It is expected that it will contribute to the definition of effective policy instruments to be developed in the region by the responsible organisation for regional development, based on the region’s profile and with the aim of an intelligent specialization strategy.

Keywords: productive specialization, clusters, regional development

JEL classification: R12, R58

pp. 11-24

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USING ENTERPRISE ZONES TO ATTRACT THE CREATIVE CLASS: SOME THEORETICAL ISSUES

Amitrajeet A. BATABYAL

Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5604, USA

aabgsh@rit.edu

Seung Jick YOO

Associate Professor, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

sjyoo@sookmyung.ac.kr

Corresponding Author

Abstract

We study decision-making by a regional authority (RA) that uses enterprise zones to attract members of the creative class—referred to as entrepreneurs—to its region. The enterprise zones provide a local public good (LPG)  to entrepreneurs who become members. First, we compute the utility maximizing number of entrepreneurs  to attract and the optimal provision level of the LPG. Second, if the LPG  is chosen optimally, then, given  we determine an expression for the utility of an entrepreneur. Third, we calculate how much an entrepreneur would be willing to pay to become a member of an enterprise zone and then discuss the potential existence of an efficient and revenue-neutral equilibrium. Finally, we comment on some theoretical difficulties stemming from the twin facts that the number of enterprise zones created and the number of entrepreneurs attracted to these zones have to be integers.

Keywords: Creative Class, Enterprise Zone, Entrepreneur, Local Public Good, Membership

JEL classification: R11, R58

 pp. 13-19

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THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AIR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT. AN EMPIRICAL INQUIRY

Daniela- Luminița CONSTANTIN

Professor at the Department of Administration and Public Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Bucharest; Romania

danielaconstantin_2005@yahoo.com

Ana-Maria MARCU

Reseαrcher, Administration and Public Management, Faculty of Administration and Public Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Bucharest; Romania

marcuana19@stud.ase.ro

Abstract

Nowadays the development of the air transport infrastructure is acknowledged as an important driver of regional development, while the economic development processes impact the demand and volume of air transport as well. This paper investigates the complex relationship between air transport infrastructure and regional development proposing an empirical analysis for the case of Romania, whose relevance is supported by her unprecedented dynamism in the general European framework at the same time with the tendency of reducing regional disparities, the balanced geographical distribution of the airport network, and the country’s geo-strategical position in the new international force field. By applying an in-depth analysis which combines the examination of strategic documents with the interpretation of statistical data and semi-structured interviews, relevant findings are provided with regard to the significance of air transport infrastructure in a context described by diversity of regional development levels, accompanied by insights into the policy-making framework, with emphasis on the requirements to be met for proper responses to the need to reinforce the air transport sector and to integrate the national vision with the specific regional development aspects.

Keywords: air transport infrastructure, regional disparities, place-based approaches, resilience, integration

JEL classification: R11, R19, R42, R58

 pp. 61-80

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