Regional Competitiveness: Theories and Methodologies for Empirical Analysis

18 Pages Posted: 30 Sep 2013

See all articles by Robert Huggins

Robert Huggins

Cardiff University

Hiro Izushi

Aston University - Aston Business School

Piers Thompson

Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Business School

Date Written: September 28, 2013

Abstract

A significant forum of scholarly and practitioner-based research has developed in recent years that has sought both to theorize upon and empirically measure the competitiveness of regions. However, the disparate and fragmented nature of this work has led to the lack of a substantive theoretical foundation underpinning the various analyses and measurement methodologies employed. The aim of this paper is to place the regional competitiveness discourse within the context of theories of economic growth, and more particularly, those concerning regional economic growth. It is argued that regional competitiveness models are usually implicitly constructed in the lineage of endogenous growth frameworks, whereby deliberate investments in factors such as human capital and knowledge are considered to be key drivers of growth differentials. This leads to the suggestion that regional competitiveness can be usefully defined as the capacity and capability of regions to achieve economic growth relative to other regions at a similar overall stage of economic development, which will usually be within their own nation or continental bloc. The paper further assesses future avenues for theoretical and methodological exploration, highlighting the role of institutions, resilience and, well-being in understanding how the competitiveness of regions influences their long-term evolution.

Keywords: competitiveness, regions, economic growth, knowledge, innovation

JEL Classification: O18, O38, P51, R58

Suggested Citation

Huggins, Robert and Izushi, Hiro and Thompson, Piers, Regional Competitiveness: Theories and Methodologies for Empirical Analysis (September 28, 2013). Journal of CENTRUM Cathedra: The Business and Economics Research Journal, Vol. 6, Issue. 2, pp. 155-172, 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2332832

Robert Huggins (Contact Author)

Cardiff University ( email )

King Edward VII Avenue, Cathays Park
Cardiff, CF10 3NS
United Kingdom

Hiro Izushi

Aston University - Aston Business School ( email )

Aston Triangle
Birmingham, B47ET
United Kingdom

Piers Thompson

Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Business School ( email )

Burton Street
NG1 4BU Nottingham
United Kingdom

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