QUO VADIS REGION STUTTGART 2020

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• QUO VADIS REGION STUTTGART 2020 ?
• November 11, 2004
•  
• Challenges for European Metropolitan Regions

Dominique Lecomte IAURIF, Paris
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Metropolitan region definition

•  
• Densely populated areas with high potentials
•  
• An agglomeration with more than 500.000
  inhabitants and his area of influence
•  
• Metropolitan area functional urban region or
  employment area
• Are not administrative region or NUTS 2 or NUTS 3

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European metropolitan regions ?

•  
• European regional policy
• Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Urban
  Question of May 1998
• Opinion of European Economic and Social Committee
  on Metropolitan areas of June 2004
• METREX network

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Main Challenges

• Globalisation
•  
• European integration and enlargement
•  
• Economic restructuring
•  
• Social and territorial cohesion
•  
• Sustained development
•  
• Good governance
•  
• Competitiveness

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The competitiveness of the cities

• Can places compete ? 
• Cities dont compete, only firms do
• Paul Krugman
• Internationally successful firms derive key
  elements of competitive advantage from particular
  characteristics of the regional environments in
  which they are based
• Michael Porter

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The markets that cities compete in

• Products markets
• Inwards investment
• Desirable residents
• Recognition and favours of higher levels of
  government

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The regional competitiveness

• Depends on two correlated factors
• The performances levels of existing companies 
• The features of the regions in which companies
  are located

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The regional economic environment

• Six major factors
• ? Accessibility
• - Quality of regional and international
  transport infrastructure
• - Quality of telecommunications
• - Accessibility to the markets
• - Accessibility to the information
• ? Availability and total cost of skilled
  personnel
• The key skill is entrepreneurship
•  
• ? The scientific and technological capabilities

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The regional economic environment

• Six major factors
• ? Availability, quality and cost of commercial
  real estate
• - Office space in central urban neighbourhoods
• - Business parks
• - R D facilities
•  
• ? The cluster-oriented policy
•  
• ? The governance of the functional urban region

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Conclusion

• The role of the public policies

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Thank you for your attention

• Further information on the study
• The economic performances of the European regions
• http//www.iaurif.org/en/doc/studies/cahiers/cahie
  r_135/index.htm