The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook, launched on 27 April, contains a wealth of practical case studies and examples that span the globe.
The Handbook references Denmark as a global leader in high-performance innovation ecosystems, professionalised cluster management, and flexible labour markets. These case studies focus on strategic collaboration, the “flexicurity” model, and large-scale green transitions.
Highlights of specific policies or initiatives discussed include:
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ
๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ (Chapter 9: Industrial Development and Clusters): Denmark designates and publicly funds approximately 14 national clusters (e.g., Medicon Valley, Odense Robotics) overseen by Cluster Excellence Denmark. The Handbook uses this to illustrate the benefits of professionalizing cluster management to act as neutral facilitators between SMEs, universities, and public actors.
๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป (Copenhagen Science City) (Chapter 12: Innovation): A robust innovation district centered on a high concentration of intellectual capital, including the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet. This case study demonstrates how physical proximity and deliberate programming create seamless knowledge transfer between researchers and innovative startups.
๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐu๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ด
๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น (Chapter 13: Education and Skills): A unique national policy combining high labor market flexibility (easy hiring/firing) with high social security and extensive active labour market policies for retraining. The book uses this to show how a “meta-skill” of adaptability can be institutionalised to reduce the personal costs of job transitions and maintain high employment rates.
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป: ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (Chapter 2: Introducing LRED Functions): The city uses targeted educational support and integrated social services to reduce school dropout rates and performance gaps among vulnerable groups. This serves as an example of addressing “spatially concentrated” market failures at a local scale.
๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด (Chapter 17: Low Carbon, Climate Change and Sustainability): Denmarkโs integration of district energy systemsโoften using waste heat recoveryโis cited as a model for decarbonising heating at a community scale.
The book (available from Amazon via www.lredhandbook.com) includes case studies and observations from across the globe.
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