About the Document
This is a peer-reviewed research article published by MDPI in 2024 (DOI 10.3390/su16145944) and credited to Ioannis Bakouros as author. It reports a questionnaire study of experts' views on the factors that shape regional competitiveness, which it defines as a region's capacity to attract investment, foster innovation, and create opportunities for residents while balancing growth, social inclusion and environmental stewardship.
Research Context and Framework
The introduction states that regional competitiveness has become a critical determinant of economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability. The authors identify ten factors from the recent literature: the economy, labor market, poverty and social inclusion, health, education, environment and energy, transport infrastructure, science and technology, high-tech industries, and innovation. The study notes that developed and less developed countries face different challenges on these factors.
Methodology
- A questionnaire of 45 questions, each comparing a pair of the ten factors, was distributed through Google Forms from October to December 2023.
- A sample of 93 experts responded, out of 120 invitees, including regional policy makers, academics, economists, geographers, statisticians and development policy experts.
- The study covered Greece and European Union member states, and a trial run was conducted with 10 people.
- Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 25.0), using cross tabulations, chi-square tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests.
Key Findings
The authors report that experts rated the following factors as the main impact factors, with percentages given as positive levels of impact:
- Economy: up to 69.1%
- Labor market: up to 64.7%
- Health infrastructure: up to 52.9%
- Poverty and social exclusion: up to 50.8%
- Education: up to 41.9%
- Technological science and digital society: up to 39.2%
- Environment and energy: up to 36.7%
- Transport: up to 35.7%
- High-tech industry: up to 32.5%
- Innovation: up to 28.2%
Statistical Results and Limits
The paper reports that most pairwise comparisons did not show statistically significant differences. Some trends were noted, such as economy versus labor market (χ2 = 2.77521, p = 0.096) and health versus innovation (χ2 = 3.71413, p = 0.054). The authors state that the results highlight the multifactorial nature of regional competitiveness. They acknowledge potential biases in expert perspectives, subjectivity in data collection, and constraints from data availability and sample size.
Implications Drawn by the Authors
The conclusions state that the findings underscore the importance of tailored approaches that consider regional contexts. They also describe education as critical for human capital, environmental sustainability as a pivotal concern, and strategic investment in infrastructure such as transport networks and educational facilities as essential for growth.
Why It Matters for Regional Competitiveness Policy
The document says its purpose is to contribute to understanding how the ten determinants vary across stages of development. It addresses regional policy makers and development planners, and states that integrating sustainability principles into policy frameworks can help regions enhance their resilience and competitiveness in a globalized economy.