Effect of Strategic Planning on the Sustainable Development of Regional Economy

The present research featured the issue of regional strategic planning as part of Russian economic system. The research objective was to study the role of strategic planning in improving the sustainable development of local economy. The study was based on the methods of analysis, synthesis, and grouping. The Strategy of Economic Development of Kuzbass through 2035 turned out to be more relevant in its content than previous strategies. The analysis of regional typology helped to identify a wider range of problems that aggravated or appeared over time. The problems were formulated as key priorities aimed at improving the life of local population and boosting the economic growth. The author believes that the main goal of the state regional policy is to reach and maintain a high level of economic development of the region. Regional policy is a set of legislative, administrative, and economic measures aimed at improving the quality of life and productive in the region. The state regional policy has the same economic orientation for all regions, which should be regulated by strategic planning, thus increasing the level of sustainable economic development.

AFTERMATH OF BREXIT FOR WALES

After withdrawal of the UK from the EU its Celtic regions (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales) faced a deterioration in the conditions for their socio-economic development and began to demand from B. Johnson to revise the principles of interaction between central government and local authorities in favor of expanding devolution. In Wales, separatist tendencies have not reached the same magnitude as in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, an acute confrontation arose at the intergovernmental level – the M. Drakeford’s Labour government protests against B. Johnson’s regional policy. The most acute contradictions arose against the background of the application of the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and the inability of the British government to compensate the region for the loss of subsidies from the EU structural funds after Brexit. To put pressure on the central government, Labour Party in Wales organized a special commission in October 2021 to consider separating the region from the United Kingdom and transferring additional powers to the local authority. This fact indicates the growth of a deep systemic crisis in the country, which makes the regions doubt the ability of the central government to effectively use its instruments to cope with the consequences of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.

Speciális régiótípusok az Európai Unió regionális egyenlőtlenségeiben

n the regional policy of the European Union, the importance of regional typologies linked to specific geographical elements has varied over the past decades. This article shows that since the 1990s the role of these specific regional typologies, and thus of regional characteristics, in European regional policy has been declining. However, the analysis of a wide range of socio-economic data reveals that some types of regions (sparsely populated regions, outermost regions, external border regions) are in a particularly unfavourable socio-economic situation, while others may need specific support not at European but at macro-regional level (for example, the coastal regions of the Mediterranean). The article concludes that, although the value of GDP per capita is indeed only marginally explained by the different regional typologies, broadening the concept of underdevelopment and recognising macro-regional challenges could be a priority for the European Union.

TERRITORIAL COHESION OF MUNICIPALITIES IN POLAND IN 2005-2017 IN TERMS OF SYNTHETIC MEASURE, IN THE CONTEXT OF CONVERGENCE AND SPATIAL CLUSTERING

The concept of territorial cohesion has gained importance in the context of the development of the European Union’s regional policy, but definitions of the concept vary enormously. The article uses the concept of spatial development supporting economic and social aspects of cohesion and, on this basis, constructs a multidimensional index of territorial cohesion based on five dimensions (economic, demographic, infrastructural in two approaches and environmental) of the phenomenon. The measure was applied to the total population of municipalities (2175) in rural areas in Poland in the years 2005-2017. The aim of the study was to assess the territorial cohesion of municipalities in Poland in static and dynamic terms and use econometric tools to identify the potential convergence of cohesion and determine the effect of “catching up”, according to Jeffrey G. Williamson [1965], where municipalities with a higher level of cohesion are followed by municipalities with a lower level. The results of previous studies conducted at different regional levels indicate an increase in income polarization in rural areas and the creation of islands of convergence, where the regions with the highest and lowest wealth become similar intra-group but not inter-group. The results indicate a decrease in relative territorial cohesion in rural areas in Poland in 2005-2017 at a municipality level and a tendency to the formation of spatial clusters of entities with similar levels of the characteristic. They do not allow to confirm the view of convergence of cohesion between entities with different levels of the characteristic.

Challenges of implementing transitional justice in the Lake Chad Basin and the integration/reintegration of displaced persons

This work contributes to the few case studies that have examined the challenges of implementing transitional justice in displacement contexts by using the specific case of the displacement trend in the Conventional Basin of Lake Chad to further underscore the dynamics of the problems involved in the issue. The work finds that lack of commitment to the implementation of regional policy frameworks and also the numerous weaknesses of the demobilization, deradicalization and reintegration (DDR) programmes implemented in the region have all had specific hindrances, especially in the social and political (re)integration of displaced persons in the region. The work therefore calls for more regional efforts that take into account clearer screening methods, accountability measures, as well as the (re)integration of displaced persons in the study area into the wider systems of their various home countries.

Regional responses to macroeconomic and regional policy in Poland

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate regional impact of macroeconomic and regional policy impulses, using our newly developed multi-regional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model for three, structurally distinctive Polish macro-regions.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, we build an interregional social accounting matrix for Poland and use it to develop a small scale, three-region CGE model, reflecting the size of regional economies and cross-regional differences in industrial structures, while also explicitly accounting for the dynamics of main economic relationships across regions, such as interregional flows in commodities, labor and capital. The model is subsequently use to simulate regional effects of various policy impulses.FindingsWe demonstrate important cross-regional differences in the transmission mechanism of macro-level policies, which either affect regional output and its individual components (as in the case of imposing shocks to VAT or PIT rates) or are limited to the components, while preserving a rather uniform impact on output (as in the case of imposing shocks to wages). Furthermore, we contribute to the regional policy equity-efficiency trade-off debate, by illustrating quantitatively how, due to structural differences, spatially targeted expenditure measures might promote either regional convergence or aggregate output growth at the country-level.Originality/valuePrior to our study, regional CGE models have not been used to simulate spatial distribution of aggregate shocks in Poland or in any other CEE country. Another originality of our study lies in comprehensive evaluation of various policy impulses, from the perspective of their impact on the respective region, spillovers to the other regions and its overall, country-level effect.

INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE REGIONAL POLICY GOALS

The article emphasizes that increasing of efficiency and competitiveness of Ukrainian industry can be achieved only by its transition to an innovative development way. The aim of the article is to analyze the indicators of innovation activity, invention and to develop proposals for the implementation of a number of measures in the context of the implementation of state regional policy to stimulate innovative development of industry. The article analyzes the indicators of innovation activity of Ukrainian industry in 2014-2019. The analysis of indicators of innovation activity of industrial enterprises, conducted in terms of technological levels of industrial development, shows the lack of stable trends in the dynamics of innovation activity. The general trend for all levels of produce-ability during the analyzed period is a decrease in the volume of sold innovative products. In general, the analysis of the main indicators of innovative activity of industry shows a decrease in the role of high-tech industries in the production and implementation of innovations. The existing potential of the regions in terms of inventions and utility models is analyzed. The analysis of the distribution of applications for inventions and utility models from national and foreign applicants-legal entities by type of industrial activity shows a decrease in inventive activity of enterprises in most types of industrial activity. The priority technical directions of patenting of inventions and utility models in the regions with the highest inventive activity are presented. It is emphasized that the low level of technological development of industry causes insignificant volumes of exports of high-tech products. The analysis shows a critically low level of high-tech exports in the regions of Ukraine, and somewhere its absence at all. It is claimed that the implementation of state regional policy in the regions of Ukraine is associated with the application of an integrated approach to the development and implementation of regional strategies. The use of an integrated approach will contribute to: improving the efficiency of the use of public funds aimed at the implementation of regional and local development projects, national, regional and sectorial programs, as well as programs for the development of problematic regions and the modernization of industry and infrastructure development in general. Under these conditions, the priorities of smart specialization of the regions are competitive advantages and guidelines for structural modernization of their economy.

How Active Aging Policies Evolved in Italy? A Systematic Review of National and Regional Policies

In recent years, active aging became a concept progressively considered by policy makers in Italy. A national project for creating a multilevel and co-managed coordination of active aging policies was launched in 2019 by the Italian Government and the National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing (IRCCS INRCA). A systematic review of active aging policies was conducted at both national and regional level. Results showed that national policies still reflect the general categorical fragmentation of Italian welfare system, although substantial developments were found in some sectors, i.e. prolonging working life, supporting families, social inclusion, and healthy ageing. Ten out of twenty-one regions have approved laws dedicated to active aging, although in most cases these laws are too recent to show impact. National and regional policy makers still need to overcome several cultural, coordination and fragmentation challenges for improving active aging policies and harmonise them with societal needs.

Objective and Subjective Study of the Dynamic Development of the City of Gyöngyös (Hungary)

Cities play a key role in EU regional policy, and to this end the Leipzig Charter called for the development of Integrated Urban Development Strategies (IVS) emphasizing an integrated approach in the 2007–2013 budget period, which was replaced in the period 2014–2020 by Integrated Settlement Development Strategies (ITS). We can find many experiments in the methodological elaboration of the measurement of regional and municipality development in the Hungarian and international literature. However, due to the complexity of the topic, no more widely accepted procedure has emerged, however, there is a common consensus that development is treated as a complex phenomenon. In the present study, we attempted to examine the development of the city of Gyöngyös through a complex system of indicators for the period 2010–2018. In addition, an important part of our research is to supplement the results obtained with statistical data and, if possible, to compare them to the subjective judgment of the residents. Our main goal was to answer how the changes of the indicator groups in the indicator system and their totality are perceived by the residents.

Modelling Digital Circular Economy framework in the Agricultural Sector. An Application in Southern Italy

The transition towards circular economy (CE) in agriculture requires a large amount of data in order to map the consumption of natural resources and negative externalities. This paper aims to identify a digital framework for collecting and sharing data fundamental for stakeholders with the purpose of implementing the best CE model. The methodology used is based on the guidelines of the stakeholder engagement and through a survey, and the authors have mapped the lack of data and built a set by replicable sustainability indicators. The results obtained can be used for the definition of regional policy strategies and interventions for CE model implementation.