Research on academic spin-off enterprises in Wales shows that 26 were established from 1990-1999, a lower rate than in the United Kingdom overall. They made a significant contribution to local economic development. A critical challenge is to ensure proper management and structural support so they can realize their potential. (SK)

When business leaders in Reno, Nevada, last summer were courting a medium-size software developer to relocate its headquarters from Emeryville, California, they turned to someone who has become their chief sales agent to clinch the deal: Jim Hager, superintendent of the Washoe County School District. Hager accompanied a handful of other county…

This is a cross-state empirical study which examines the effects of state research and development (R&D) tax credits on private R&D expenditure in the states. Other explanatory variables include federal R&D subsidies, public services in higher education and R&D-targeted programs as well as other control variables. The statistical result shows that…

As the global economy expands, emerging nations are finding that focusing on universal primary education is not sufficient, Mr. Levine argues. They are increasingly coming to see the value of investing in early care and education as well.

There is growing recognition of the important role played by natural heritage in rural economic development, but limited empirical work as yet to inform this debate. This paper examines the nature and strength of local economic linkages associated with the natural heritage in four case study areas in Scotland, differentiated in terms of their…

Universities make an economic contribution to their host territory in two ways. Firstly, there is the direct impact of the initial investment and the effects of students and staff spending and universities' operating expenditure on the surrounding economy. Secondly, universities are also public institutions that carry out missions of higher…

After World War II, the American university emerged as a world leader in higher education. Economic development became a dominant value and its subsequent material success has been unrivaled. Many developing countries adopted characteristics of the model with the expectation that national economic growth would follow. Yet it has also been…

Evaluations of regional welfare conventionally rely on Gross Value Added (GVA) per capital as an indicator of well-being. This paper attempts to re-address the regional welfare issue using alternative indicators to per capital income. With this aim, a database for the Spanish regions (NUTS II) has been constructed for the period 1980-2001 and an…

The American economy has had the fastest and most dramatic development of all the world's major economies. Four hundred years ago, the economic output of the area that became the United States was negligible by world standards. Yet only 250 years later, the U.S. economy had become the largest in the world, surpassing all other countries, including…

This article describes a process of role-playing simulation (RPS) as it was used during an educational exercise in community dialogue in the Karkonosze Mountains region of southwest Poland. Over the past decade Karkonosze National Park, a regional tourist magnet, has provided an excellent example of environmental conflict emerging from the…

Universities today are increasingly being viewed in terms of serving the purpose of economic development. This paper postulates that their chief purpose is to advance knowledge and that in doing so they effectuate regional economic growth and development through processes specified in the endogenous economic growth model. To achieve this purpose…

German Geography textbooks are structured using the principle of "Systematic Geography based on a regional example" that is predominant in Germany. Compared to other macroregions such as Europe, North America, Africa, or Asia, however, Australia is presented less frequently in school textbooks. Those textbooks which deal with Australia…

Clustering theory assumes that companies gravitate towards each other on the basis of locally and regionally specific resources and supply chain characteristics, which lead in turn to innovation and high-value economic development. In line with such thinking, UK government policy has devolved certain functions to regional development agencies such…

As Joel Spring's (2007/this issue) description of Singapore's Orchard Road suggests, Benetton, Zara, Nike, BMW, LG, and Microsoft dominate the visual and textual landscape where signage, advertising, packaging, labeling, and the environments of the connected underground malls and walkways merge into a wall-to-wall, 24/7 print and visual…

The year's business reading identified new trends, reckoned with old challenges, offered counteropinions on hot topics, reinforced some old lessons, highlighted gains over losses, celebrated innovations that have potential for all, and observed the failures of these innovations to keep their promise. In short, it was a year of balancing…