A three dimensional approach to regional Smart Specialization Strategy; An application to Puglia Region

Fiore, Annamaria (2016): A three dimensional approach to regional Smart Specialization Strategy; An application to Puglia Region.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe an analytical tool able to support policy makers in defining regional policy for entrepreneurship. Given the growing interest about the themes of smart specialization assigned as policy objectives to the Regions, focus of the paper is at the regional level.

The three-dimensional strategic analysis considers simultaneously three kinds of data for each industrial sector: spatial concentration, cost competitiveness and export weight. Each of the three dimensions considered can be seen in turn as a specialization index since the data are related to the performance recorded at national level (benchmark). Depending on position (quarter) occupied by a specific sector in a graph, policy makers can have at one sight the relative weight of that sector in the regional economy and could have support in defining policies accordingly.

As an application, the paper presents last official available data for Puglia manufacturing sectors (2013). Moreover, the analysis could be also simply utilised to realize temporal comparisons. As an example, comparison between data for 2008 and 2013 have highlighted how Puglia has lost competitive advantages over time due to the economic crisis. However, analysis also shows how, in the same years, careful sectorial policies implemented (aerospace) has enabled the Region to emerge in this medium-high technology market also at an international level.

Once reached the full availability of homogeneous and internationally comparable data, the same analytical framework could be easily extended to assess the status of different national economies for drawing policy recommendations also at higher territorial levels.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Regional policy; Smart Specialization Strategy; Industrial specialization; Policy tool; Three-dimensional strategic analysis.
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics

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