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The aim of this article is to investigate how the use of financial instruments influences the development of Regional Development Funds (RFR) in Poland and to assess the maturity and coherence of the regional development financing system in this country.

The methodology is based on the multilevel governance literature and on data collected during 26 in-depth interviews in regional, national and international institutions.

The authors demonstrate that the use of financial instruments stimulates new kinds of cooperation between several institutions and contributes to the establishment of RFR. The authors also show that the Polish regional financing system is still developing and formulate recommendations about necessary improvements.

The main contribution of this article, in addition to taking up a new, relevant topic for the regional development policy in countries benefiting from European Union (EU) cohesion policy, is the application of the multilevel governance (MLG) concept to explain the development of the Polish regional development financing system. Moreover, the significant added value of this study comes from the use of data collected during 26 in-depth interviews (IDI) in regional, national and international institutions on the use of repayable instruments in regional development policy.

The purpose of this paper is to present how the Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) Graz‐Styria as well as RCEs as instruments can contribute to regional development. The RCE Graz‐Styria is representing a case study of Central European RCEs.

The paper describes the development process of RCE Graz‐Styria. Regional challenges to strengthen sustainable regional development have been investigated by literature review and interviews with regional actors.

The paper discusses challenges of establishing an RCE and describes how an RCE can face regional and global challenges by innovative actions.

The paper provides an insight of the establishment of the RCE Graz‐Styria. Readers who would like to establish an RCE in their own region can learn from the process of RCE Graz‐Styria. The reader has to take into account that the regional challenges might be different, and thus the RCE Graz‐Styria is a role model regarding its management structure for RCEs based at universities.

By 2008 and since 2006, every year more than ten new RCEs have been officially acknowledged by the United Nations University. Specially for those new RCEs coming in the next years, which can learn from reading about different management structures and different challenges experienced by different RCEs. For already established RCEs, RCE case studies are useful not only for learning from other RCEs but also for getting in contact with RCEs with common interests and initiating common projects.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the knowledge dimensions grounding regional development dynamics.

The paper first provides a knowledge‐based interpretation of regional development and afterwards the knowledge assets categories at the basis of value creation dynamics at regional level are discussed. The aim is to define a conceptual framework addressing the knowledge assets categories affecting the development dynamics of regions and territories. To support these arguments, the paper integrates the conceptual framework with the analysis of a case study of an Italian region. The paper provides the case example of Basilicata region, which has planned and implemented policies aimed to activate and support regional strategic development by focusing on knowledge assets dimensions. The paper combines a deductive approach with an inductive one. The knowledge assets dimensions grounding regional development dynamics are identified through a review of the literature. Then, the conceptual framework is integrated by the analysis of a case study aimed to enrich the proposed conceptual arguments with empirical evidences.

The paper highlights the strategic relevance of knowledge capital in sustaining and driving regional development dynamics. The knowledge assets dimensions grounding regional development are discussed, providing insights for both research and practice.

This paper contributes to further develop the knowledge‐based view of the regional development dynamics. The paper provides implications for future research and useful insights for policy making.

Entrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a crucial element in fostering economic development and growth, especially at the regional level. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of regional enterprise policies and associated governance mechanisms in the UK to address the following questions: How are evolving systems of regional governance in the UK impacting on the capability of regional policy to foster entrepreneurship? To what extent does enterprise policy form a key part of the overall economic development strategy of regions? and are different forms of regional enterprise policy and priorities emerging?

The study draws on a series of key interviews with policy makers across the regions of Wales, Scotland and England (using the case study of the Yorkshire and the Humber region). The approach adopted in this study facilitates an exploration of the perspectives of those responsible for the formulation and delivery of such support. The paper seeks to ascertain and analyse policy maker opinion on the nature of previous policy, as well as future requirements if policies are to become more effective. It focuses on the period from 1997, with the election of the Labour Government, and the period from 2010 to 2015 represented by the Conservative-Liberal Democratic Coalition Government.

The paper finds that regional entrepreneurship differentials emerge due to the spatial and place-based nature of three underlying factors: first, the nature of markets; second, the nature of innovation systems; and third, the nature of place-based cultures, communities and the institutions they establish. In the regions studied, failings and limitations in these factors suggest two potential requirements: first, the introduction of public policy in the form of a range of interventions and support mechanisms, second, the introduction of a system of policy governance to establish appropriate interventions and support mechanisms. In the case study regions, clear attempts have been made to address each of the three limiting factors through a range of policy and governance systems, but due to a complex range of issues these have often achieved limited success.

From an intellectual perspective, the paper positively points toward the establishment of governance and policy frameworks that have been both led and informed by the theory underpinning an explanation of regional differentials in entrepreneurial capacity and capability. However, from a more applied perspective it questions the effectiveness and strategic implementation of the policy frameworks and the sustainability of the associated governance mechanisms.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Geographical disparities in the light of regional development constitute ever present issue affecting academic debates as well as decision process of policy makers also in the Central and East European countries, mainly during the last two decades. The purpose of this paper is to outline the economic development of one of the most underdeveloped regions in Slovakia, of Banská Bystrica, during the transformation stage of post-socialist societal development, with emphasis on the period after 2000, in the context of the economic performance related to other regions of the country.

For this purpose, several economic indicators (unemployment rate, vacancies, employment in economic sectors, wages, gross domestic product, foreign direct investment and housing construction) are utilised, whose common contribution to assessing the economic performance of a territorial system is secured by using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methodological approach. Thus, analytical part of the study stems from standard statistical data, enriched by 11 in-depth interviews conducted with stakeholders involved in socio-economic and political life of the region.

Of internal factors, innovation capacity of the region and supporting the business environment appear to be a key for its further economic development. Attractiveness for foreign direct investment as well as social cohesion of the EU are considered the crucial factors of regional development stemming from the external environment.

Using TOPSIS method and series of in-depth interviews with regional stakeholders the authors identified development prospects of underdeveloped Banská Bystrica region, in the context of opportunities and threats forming its presence in the near future.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the paradox between diversification and specialization from a dynamic perspective. More precisely, this paper will analyze the impact of diversification and specialization as well as their interaction on regional innovation in different development stages.

Based on the principles of new economic geography and innovation geography, data from 30 provinces from 2001 to 2017 was used to explore the relationship. Least squares regressions with fix effect were used to examine the hypotheses.

The results show that both diversification and specialization have a significant and positive impact on regional innovation. The interaction of diversification and specialization also significantly and positively impacts regional innovation. The effect of industrial agglomeration is heterogeneity under different development stages.

This paper verifies the positive role of diversification and specialization and their interaction in promoting regional innovation. The impact of industrial agglomeration on innovation is dynamic and changes with the regional development process. Emerging economies should make appropriate industrial agglomeration strategies according to their development stages.

This paper introduces diversification, specialization and their interaction into the research framework at the same time to analyze their impact on innovation performance which deepened the research of industrial agglomeration. Taking China as an example, this paper also examines the impact of industrial agglomeration on regional innovation in different development stages that expands the dynamic perspective of industrial agglomeration.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial behaviour of small tourism businesses and their ability to contribute to regional development in the context of a transitional economy.

The research, by combining in‐depth interviews and a survey, reports on a case study of Wairarapa, a region of New Zealand that has recently seen a large expansion in the tourism sector.

The paper identifies a number of important criteria for the effective interaction of private‐public sectors as well as illustrating how small tourism firm owners are facing challenges in one of the most liberal economic environments whilst taking action to ensure periphery endurance.

Inductive theory or a bottom‐up model for regional development provides the conceptual structure for the research. The paper argues that the related paradigm is increasingly underpinned by entrepreneurial behaviour of a multiplicity of stakeholders in rural localities where tourism is seen as a key agent for regional rejuvenation on the demise of traditional economic activities.

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of network leadership in meeting the requirements for regional development networks imposed by the network society.

A new framework of three different archetypes of regional development networks was devised. The characteristics of the different networks and the requirements they set for network leadership were assessed as a case study in the Lahti Region, Finland. A special panel of experts of three highly experienced network leaders was organized as part of the present study. Their task was to assess the differences concerning network leadership in different regional development networks. The session was conducted in the (niin sanottu means it was not an inspiration) Inspiration Center in the Lahti Region. Inspiration Center is a platform for brainstorming and stimulation, designed especially to arrive at ideas and form opinions through teamwork. The method used was a half‐structured group discussion, planned especially for the purpose of the present study. The method was used to form a convergent expert assessment among the participants.

The essential differences of the types of regional development networks make it insufficient to talk about network leadership as a general concept. It is important to identify and understand the differences in network leadership required by the different archetypes of regional development networks.

The paper combines leadership, network leadership, and regional development in a novel way.

The aim of the paper is to explore the requirements of knowledge‐based management in the regional development network of the Tampere region in Finland.

The requirements of knowledge‐based management are analysed on the basis of the perceptions of the regional developers interviewed (n=13) and by using the extended SECI model and intellectual capital framework as analytical tools.

Different regions benefit from different knowledge‐based management activities according to their performance in the cycle of the extended SECI model and the intellectual capital available among the regional developers. When the knowledge‐based management requirements of a regional development network are identified by applying these two frameworks, more appropriate investments (e.g. for ICT infrastructure) and development activities can be made.

The perspectives of knowledge creation (i.e. the extended SECI model) and intellectual capital provide one approach for evaluating the call for knowledge‐based management of regional development. Other perspectives are also expected to be valuable as the understanding of regional knowledge‐based management in different contexts is enhanced.

The study contributes by proposing and applying a method for evaluating the requirements of regional knowledge‐based management.