Faculty of Economics at the University of Split and
Department of Sociology at the University of Klagenfurt
Project leaders:
Josef Langer, Department of Sociology, University of Klagenfurt
Niksa Alfirevic, Department of Management, Faculty of Economics Split
Researchers:
Jurica Pavicic, Goran Vlasic,
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics Zagreb
Josef Langer, Department of Sociology, University of Klagenfurt
Niksa Alfirevic, Department of Management, Faculty of Economics Split
Researchers:
Jurica Pavicic, Goran Vlasic,
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics Zagreb
Project has been financially supported by United Knowledge Fund and Ministry of Science, Education & Sports of the Republic of Croatia
This project deals with the idea of knowledge-based development, which seems to be one of the widely accepted concepts among the policy-makers and practicing managers, with the reference often being made to the 2000 Lisbon Agenda (setting the primary EU objective as "…becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world..."). Although this idea has been elaborated through a series of EU-based ’information society’ development programs (eEurope 2002/2005, i2010…), those have been mostly focused on specific Information Technology issues, such as broadband Internet connectivity, public administration services available on the Internet, etc. From the wider point of view, it is still not clear what the notion of knowledge-based development should mean for the economic and social development of the regions and societies of the new EU-member countries. Therefore, it is believed that a discussion among the scientists and practitioners within EU-wide regions (such as the Alps-Adriatic) should be stimulated, in order to identify the practical research and policy venues for the implementation of knowledge-based development. This would lead toward the clarification of the knowledge-based development concept and the identification/dissemination of practical development ideas and initiatives, within the specific context of the Alps-Adriatic region.
Context
The project has been implemented as a continuation of research, initiated by two scientific symposia, organized by the Dept. of Sociology at the University of Klagenfurt, entitled Knowledge Region. The first symposium has been held in Luša/Šibenik in June 2007 and followed by the second symposium in September 2007. If you wish, you can also take a look at the picture gallery from Šibenik, as well as the one from Klagenfurt. Discussion at the symposia has led to the decision to initiate a more elaborate analysis of the topics of knowledge-based society and economy in the wider Alps-Adriatic region, which has also proved to be one of the priorities of the Croatian national scientific policy.
Activities & results
Work on the project has included
several meetings and discussions with regional experts, which have
resulted with the papers, presented at the following scientific
conferences:
A book on the topic of Knowledge Region: Alps-Adriatic Challenges (Actors and Cases), edited by Josef Langer, Niksa Alfirevic and Goran Vlasic is available from the Peter Lang Verlagsgruppe. You can also read the Introduction for the volume, resulting from the research of the project team and the discussion with the regional experts.
The volume will be published in a series of books initiated and edited by Josef Langer, which, so far, include: Forces Shaping the EU (2008) and Euroregions - The Alps-Adriatic Context (2007).
At this conference, a joint paper by Niksa Alfirevic, Jurica Pavicic and Kresimir Znidar on Knowledge and
Information Technology and Urban (Regional) Development has been presented. Along with this paper, a separate public lecture on the same topic has been delivered by Niksa Alfirevic. You can download the paper (in Microsoft Word format), as well as the Power-Point presentation of the public lecture.
At this conference, a joint paper by Niksa Alfirevic, Jurica Pavicic and Kresimir Znidar on Understanding and responding to the regional perceptions of
the global economic crisis: Toward the 'low-tech' knowledge-based approach has been presented at the Spiru Haret University. The paper is also available for download (in Microsoft Word format) and has been accepted for inclusion into the EconPaper/RePEc working paper repository, which is also reproduced by IDEAS, University of Connecticut working paper repository.
A book on the topic of Knowledge Region: Alps-Adriatic Challenges (Actors and Cases), edited by Josef Langer, Niksa Alfirevic and Goran Vlasic is available from the Peter Lang Verlagsgruppe. You can also read the Introduction for the volume, resulting from the research of the project team and the discussion with the regional experts.
The volume will be published in a series of books initiated and edited by Josef Langer, which, so far, include: Forces Shaping the EU (2008) and Euroregions - The Alps-Adriatic Context (2007).
Future research tasks and activities
Although this project has been concluded, in order to stimulate further
discussion and research on the topics relevant for the social and
economic development of the Alps-Adriatic region, all interested are
invited to take part in the forthcoming symposia on European issues,
including 4th International Symposium on European Issues What will be? Analysis and visions for Europe, to
be hosted by Department of Sociology of the University of Klagenfurt,
25-26. September 2009, as well as its specialist stream Convergence/divergence in the visions of Europe: Focus on social practice, to be hosted by the Department of Tourism and Communication Sciences of the University of Zadar, 4-5. September 2009.