New Regional perspectives;towards vital/competitive rural
areas
Prof Dr. Frans BoekemaRadboud Universiteit Nijmegen
Tilburg University
Introduction:Introduction:
A real A real Dutchman… …Dutchman… …however withhowever withmultimultiregional/localregional/localidentities identities
An Economist looks like a Weatherman:his forecast is seldom exactly right, but the analysis afterwards is often stable/reliable
Today we are facing lots of Today we are facing lots of problems related to the problems related to the transitiontransition from the from the ANALOGUEANALOGUE past pastto the to the DIGITALDIGITAL future future
The (digital) Present and FutureThe (digital) Present and Future((AppleApple-eaters)-eaters)a a globalglobal community community
A cartoon A cartoon presenting presenting The Euro-crisis;The Euro-crisis; Balancing needs Balancing needs full support and full support and TRUSTTRUST of all of allactorsactors
Who is responsible for the Euro crisis? Countries Who is responsible for the Euro crisis? Countries and banks are blaming each and banks are blaming each Other Other lack of TRUST lack of TRUST
EU-sponsored projects EU-sponsored projects LEDA: LLEDA: Local ocal EEconomic conomic DDevelopment evelopment AAction ction Promoting Local Iniatives Promoting Local Iniatives
Challenges in the (near) future;Challenges in the (near) future;
* Economic/Demographic decline (shrink)? * Economic/Demographic decline (shrink)?
* Regional Marketing and Branding?* Regional Marketing and Branding?
* How to create coalitions/new governance?* How to create coalitions/new governance?
* How to create transnational exchange?* How to create transnational exchange?
The (Regional) The (Regional) Knowledge Knowledge Economy;Economy;
What can we learn What can we learn from theory from theory and fromand frombest practices?best practices?
Silicon Valley: Silicon Valley: excellent Regional performance excellent Regional performance
and Brandingand Branding
Economic map Economic map 1950)1950)
North; AgriculturalNorth; Agricultural
South: CoalminingSouth: Coalmining
East;Textiles/IronEast;Textiles/Iron
West; Urbanised West; Urbanised region region
2014; The Regional Economic 2014; The Regional Economic Map has changed a lot.. Map has changed a lot..
Some sectors almost disappeared Some sectors almost disappeared completely (Coalmining, Textiles)…completely (Coalmining, Textiles)…
...while (complete) new sectors emerged ...while (complete) new sectors emerged (High Tech, Nano, ICT, etc)…(High Tech, Nano, ICT, etc)…
……and (some) Rural Areas transformed into and (some) Rural Areas transformed into Innovative Agribusiness Regions Innovative Agribusiness Regions
3 (Urban) Mainports 3 (Urban) Mainports in in the Netherlands;the Netherlands;
SeaportSeaportRotterdamRotterdam
AirportAirportAmsterdamAmsterdam
BrainportBrainportEindhovenEindhoven
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The Dutch economy; a variety of
different local economies
Policy-makers;Policy-makers;
All kinds of All kinds of Valleys and Valleys and innovative innovative regions…regions…
SSmart mart SSpecialisation pecialisation SStrategytrategy
Some striking ExamplesSome striking Examples Amsterdam; banks and financial Amsterdam; banks and financial
services services Eindhoven; High Tech SystemsEindhoven; High Tech Systems Wageningen; Food-Technology hotspotWageningen; Food-Technology hotspot Rotterdam; Maritime ClustersRotterdam; Maritime Clusters
…….and some Remarkable Rural .and some Remarkable Rural Regions….Regions….
Foodvalley Foodvalley WageningenWageningen
A strong A strong internationalinternationalPerformance Performance andandBrandingBranding
Food-Valley Wageningen….Food-Valley Wageningen….Famous and well-known worldwide!Famous and well-known worldwide!
Food Valley with a crucial role of Food Valley with a crucial role of Wageningen UniversityWageningen University
Some examples of Dutch Rural Some examples of Dutch Rural Regional Developments:Regional Developments:
* * AchterhoekAchterhoek (Rural/SME’s) (Rural/SME’s) * * VeluweVeluwe (Leisure,Recreation) (Leisure,Recreation)
* * Zeeuws-VlaanderenZeeuws-Vlaanderen (BioBased (BioBased Economy) Economy)
* * BetuweBetuwe (Fruit & Horticulture) (Fruit & Horticulture)* * VenloVenlo (Bordercrossing (Bordercrossing
Agribusiness)Agribusiness)
Achterhoek Achterhoek regionregion
Rural area Rural area with small with small
municipalities municipalities and traditionaland traditional
industriesindustries
Achterhoek Region: Achterhoek Region: 8 municipalities working together 8 municipalities working together
Veluwe: Veluwe: Focus on Leisure/Recreation and Health Focus on Leisure/Recreation and Health
“CARE VALLEY VELUWE”“CARE VALLEY VELUWE” BERGEIJKBERGEIJK
133.url
From From BorderregionBorderregionGreenport Greenport VENLO…VENLO…...towards…...towards…a bordercrossing a bordercrossing innovative innovative Agrobusiness-Agrobusiness-regionregionGreenport Greenport Venlo-Venlo-NiederrheinNiederrhein
Region Region Parkstad (South) Parkstad (South) Limburg:Limburg:
Economic and Economic and Demographic Demographic declinedecline))
Parkstad LimburgParkstad Limburg; How to deal with ; How to deal with economic and demographic decline?economic and demographic decline?
Demographic growth and decline Demographic growth and decline
GrowthGrowth and and decline;decline;A diversA diverspattern with pattern with many new many new challengeschallenges
Twente;Twente;
From a former From a former TEXTILE regionTEXTILE regionTowardsTowardsa succesfulla succesfullNANO-tech NANO-tech hotspot regionhotspot region
Zeeuws-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen;Vlaanderen;
From periheral From periheral borderregion borderregion towardstowardsbackbonebackbone in the in the biobased biobased sustainable sustainable economy economy
Bio-Valley (Dutch-Belgiumborderregion)
SmartSmartcorporate corporate coalitionscoalitions(energy, raw (energy, raw materials, materials, waste, hot waste, hot water, water, biomassbiomassetc.)etc.) TNO Bouw en Ondergrond
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Coalitions at Bio-Valley;Towards a real sustainable regional economy
Betuwe; a traditional Rural Area Betuwe; a traditional Rural Area (Fruit and Horticulture region)(Fruit and Horticulture region)
Challenge:Challenge: How to transform How to transform into a vital rural into a vital rural economy?economy?
Betuwe “Blossom Valley” Betuwe “Blossom Valley” from old from old Fruitregion towards a sustainable and Fruitregion towards a sustainable and
innovativeinnovativeAGRIBUSINESS REGION AGRIBUSINESS REGION
april 2006
““Betuwse Bloem” (Blossom Valley;Betuwse Bloem” (Blossom Valley;how to construct a regional brand how to construct a regional brand
Brainstorm:Brainstorm:
4040 pragmatic pragmaticPlans/Project-Plans/Project-ideas to realise ideas to realise sustainable sustainable AgribusinessAgribusinessClustersClusters
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Entrepreneurs presenting their Businessplans for the Provincial Deputy
July 2009
The provincial agricultural policy The provincial agricultural policy report “BETUWSE BLOEM”report “BETUWSE BLOEM”
Sustainable Sustainable Mushroom Mushroom Cluster Cluster
Smart cooperation; Smart cooperation;
. Mushroom-companies. Mushroom-companies . Logical services. Logical services . Power plant. Power plant . Trade and marketing. Trade and marketing . Knowledge-centres…... Knowledge-centres…..
… … leads towards…leads towards…
SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT
The high-tech knowledge has been made The high-tech knowledge has been made available by WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITYavailable by WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Innovations are exposed in an Innovations are exposed in an innovative GREENHOUSEinnovative GREENHOUSE
Economic Economic performance ofperformance of“Betuwe “Betuwe Blossom”:Blossom”:
a substantial a substantial stronger and stronger and sustainable sustainable regional regional developmentdevelopment
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May 2011May 2011
Presenting the output;Presenting the output;from knowledgefrom knowledgeto know-howto know-howto profitto profit
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May 2011; Presentation of economic results
Deputy accepts/supports the strategyDeputy accepts/supports the strategy
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Lobby en promotion at theLobby en promotion at theDepartment of AgricultureDepartment of Agriculture
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Professional publicity and PR by Professional publicity and PR by media ( TV, press)media ( TV, press)
ConclusionConclusion
A Professional Regional Policy and A Professional Regional Policy and Regional branding might be very Regional branding might be very helpfull to support the succesfull helpfull to support the succesfull
development of (rural) regions development of (rural) regions and helps them to realise their and helps them to realise their
ambitions in the future.ambitions in the future.
World-wide promotion of Dutch World-wide promotion of Dutch Flowers (Urbi et Orbi)Flowers (Urbi et Orbi)
Amsterdam Citymarketing;Amsterdam Citymarketing;focusing on real topics and hotspotsfocusing on real topics and hotspots
Excellent Citymarketing AmsterdamExcellent Citymarketing Amsterdamre-opening Rijksmuseumre-opening Rijksmuseum
The (analogue) past;The (analogue) past; Potato-eaters (Vincent van Gogh) Potato-eaters (Vincent van Gogh)
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Samenwerking daadwerkelijk uitvoeren in een regionaal plan
Juli 2009
408 408 Municipalities Municipalities are competing are competing with each other with each other to hold/attract …to hold/attract …
. Inhabitants. Inhabitants
. Businesses. Businesses
. Visitors. Visitors
. top talents. top talents
RUHRGEBIETRUHRGEBIETremarkable Regionbrandingremarkable Regionbranding
Past:dirty steel/coalPast:dirty steel/coal Present;leisure/CulturePresent;leisure/Culture
Dutch Dutch Government:Government:
5 Super- 5 Super- provincies provincies instead of 12instead of 12
Some succesfull examples of Some succesfull examples of regional Branding;regional Branding;
* Brainport Eindhoven (High Tech)* Brainport Eindhoven (High Tech)
* Betuwse Bloem (horticulture)* Betuwse Bloem (horticulture)
* Greenport Venlo – Niederrhein* Greenport Venlo – Niederrhein
* Bio Valley (Terneuzen-Gent) * Bio Valley (Terneuzen-Gent)
Eindhoven Region in the past:Eindhoven Region in the past:
An economic monostructure dominated An economic monostructure dominated by 2 Multinationals (DAF-Trucks & PHILIPS)by 2 Multinationals (DAF-Trucks & PHILIPS)
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Region Venlo as a sustainable Agribusiness Region (Floriade)
Health ValleyHealth Valley
Coalitions between Coalitions between companies, local companies, local and regional and regional authorities, authorities, knowledge-knowledge-centres, hospitals centres, hospitals etc.etc.
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Scientific Scientific ReportReport
Regional Regional Agribusiness-Agribusiness-Clusters Clusters BiobasedBiobasedEconomyEconomy
Economic map (1950)Economic map (1950)
North; agricultureNorth; agricultureSouth-Limburg: South-Limburg: CoalminingCoalminingVeluwe: RecreationVeluwe: RecreationTwente/Tilburg/Lei-Twente/Tilburg/Lei-den; Textilesden; TextilesBetuwe;Fruit/horticultBetuwe;Fruit/horticultAchterhoek; Iron Achterhoek; Iron Industry Industry Eindhoven; PhilipsEindhoven; Philips
And how are the (national, And how are the (national, regional and local) regional and local) demographic demographic developments and trends?developments and trends?
3x demographic growth and 3x demographic growth and decline 2014-2040decline 2014-2040
Population Household. Labour force
Region Noord-Veluwe: Region Noord-Veluwe: cooperation of 6 municipalitiescooperation of 6 municipalities
Germany as most important and Germany as most important and strongest economy in the EUstrongest economy in the EU
Regions with strong coalitions of Regions with strong coalitions of local/regional authorities, local/regional authorities,
entrepreneurs and knowledge-entrepreneurs and knowledge-centres/universities show acentres/universities show a
good performancegood performance
Regionbuilding implies;Regionbuilding implies;
* creating connections, * creating connections, * using each others qualities,* using each others qualities,
* creating win-win effects* creating win-win effects* joint strategies* joint strategies
* focus and priorities* focus and priorities* strong governance * strong governance
andand....based on mutual TRUST!!....based on mutual TRUST!!