The EU provides technical and legislative support for creating good conditions for civil society organizations and funding opportunities for this sector within countries. A significant contribution is visible in the CEE countries, mainly in the states of the Visegrad group, that are the most...

This paper explores the role of export-oriented firms in shaping regional economic development, with a focus on their operational footprint, strategic orientation, and interaction with institutional and infrastructural environments. Set within the broader context of regional competitiveness and...

This essay aims to address the existing theoretical gap regarding the in-depth study of institutional change and its relationship with the endogenous development potential of regions. The intersection of these two theoretical approaches offers an understanding of how changes in formal and...

The concept of "left behind" places encompasses economic, demographic, infrastructural, social and political aspects. Different studies of the left behind place concept focus on different aspects or combinations of these. The theoretical model by Hertrich and Brenner (2024) assumes an interplay...

Growing disparities in wealth, well-being, and access to services in Kazakhstan have raised serious concerns among policymakers, especially since the January 2022 protests. This paper evaluates these regional inequalities and presents the findings from Kazakhstan's inaugural well-being survey....

This article discusses the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems. In particular, three propositions are made for further development of the concept. First, it is argued that entrepreneurial ecosystems should be regarded a part of the regional innovation system. Second, the scope of the concept...

Purpose - This article focusses on the impact generated on GDP growth by the number of graduates in the ICT domain of Romanian counties in the period 2014-2020. Research methodology - We have collected the number of ICT graduates, the GDP per inhabitant in EUR per Romanian county, the number of...

Between 2004 and 2018, the spread of wages in Mexico's private labor sector remained stable. Nonetheless, the underlying factors behind salary dispersion underwent significant shifts. To uncover these changes, we analyze an employer-employee dataset comprising the near-universe of Mexico's...

This editorial introduces the nexus between family firms, hidden champions, and regional development from an economic geography perspective. Family firms constitute the backbones of most local and regional economies, and some of them are even so-called hidden champions, which are global leaders...

Hidden Champions (HCs) are defined as market leaders in niche markets. They represent the success of the German Mittelstand like no other group of firms. However, little is known on how HCs contribute to regional development. Given their export strength, regional embeddedness, and strong...

This policy note explores key issues in the Danube Region, focusing on labour market dynamics, including the development of digital skills, foreign direct investment (FDI) with a particular emphasis on FDI in the IT sector, and the robotisation and automation of the region's industries. Covering...

Between 2004 and 2018, the spread of wages in Mexico’s private labor sector remained stable. Nonetheless, the underlying factors behind salary dispersion underwent significant shifts nationally and regionally. We analyze a matched employer-employee dataset comprising the near-universe of...

The concept of resilience has gained significant prominence across various disciplines, particularly in the context of regional development. Specifically, the Social Responsibility of Local Public Administrations (SRLPA) may play a significant role in fostering resilient territories. This study...

This study investigates the economic impact of China's "stadium diplomacy" in Sub-Saharan Africa. Exploiting the staggered timing of the construction in a difference-in-differences framework, we analyze the effect of Chinese-built and financed stadiums on local economic development. Employing...

The concept of "left behind" places is complex and multidimensional. It encompasses economic factors, demographic aspects, infrastructure and connectivity criteria, social factors, political and cultural aspects. Previous studies on the concept have only described the feeling of left behind very...

Large and economically diverse countries often face a problem of regional imbalances which goes beyond a simple division between a core and a periphery. In large countries regions "out of the core" demonstrate substantial variety in economic, social and cultural terms, they have difference...

Our use of longitudinal register data combined with a unique survey allows us to offer a more comprehensive picture of rural self-employment than in previous studies. We find that selfemployed in rural settings are more likely than those in metropolitan regions to employ others, but...

In Europe, there is an increasing shortage of skilled workers and jobs remain vacant for long periods of time. The shortage of skilled workers has become a key issue for various stakeholders, as it not only makes it difficult to recruit and retain employees, but it is also seen as a significant...

Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) are vital for safeguarding and enhancing foreign investments, pivotal in Global Production Networks (GPNs). This study assesses the impact of BITs on GPNs driven by EU multinational enterprises, with a focus on regions hosting corporate headquarters due to...

This paper examines the impact of regional development on democracy building in the Czech Republic following the fall of the Iron Curtain and the autocratic communist regime in 1989. By exploiting the variation in regional development arising from the economic transition process, we identify...

The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic insight into the socio-economic aspects of the last two economic crises in Slovenia: the Economic crisis between 2009 and 2013, and the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. A three-stage territorial model was developed as a theoretical tool for this study....

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive view of matters of cross-border cooperation, with the main emphasis on the typology and development of structures supporting cross-border cooperation in a selected region of the Czech Republic (South Bohemian Region). The study focuses on the...

This study evaluates the impact of European Union Structural Funds for innovation on key business indicators related to growth, profitability, and innovation at the regional level. We use the case of Andalusia during the period 2007-2020, a Spanish region benefiting from these funds, focusing on...

The paper examines the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the agribusiness innovation ecosystem in Central Visayas, Philippines, underlining their contributions, the challenges the faced, and the opportunities. Using a mix-methods approach, the research reveals that HEIs serve as...

Sustainable development is a core concept in regional development. Sustainability is characterized by supporting the building of resilient infrastructure and promoting the sustainable industry. In this context, sustainable transport is particularly important as it represents an opportunity for...

Circular Economy (CE) aspects are becoming increasingly relevant for a sustainable transition and regional development. Still, a methodology to assess regional performance and interregional differences is exclaimed to be missing at least in the European context. This gap makes it difficult to...