Regional economic policy review: paper 3 - international perspective

1. Introduction

1. This the third of a series of papers contributing to the Regional Economic Review. The overall aim of the review is to consider the use of regional geographies and structures to deliver more effective inclusive growth. The review will evidence why, and crucially in which policy areas, economic development works well on a regional scale.

2. This paper takes an international perspective, reviewing regional disparities and regional policy responses in selected European countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden – together with New Zealand and Canada. The coverage of Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden is drawn from research undertaken by the European Regional Policy Research Consortium,^[1] EoRPA, managed by the European Policies Research Centre at the University of Strathclyde. The EoRPA research is supplemented by studies undertaken by OECD and other sources.