Collective Efficiency Strategies: A Regional Development Policy Contribution for Competitiveness Enhancement

This is an article on policy instrument design wholly embodied in the state of the art endogenous regional development theory. The family of Collective Efficiency Strategies (CES) was originally con-ceived in Portugal during the 2005/2009 legislative term and is very much replicable in other geogra-phies and socio-economic environments, in emerging as well as in developed territories. They matter to deliver competitiveness and jobs by boosting business links among partnership members. Firms are indispensable to operate these networks but many other private, social and public agents whose action helps to internalise agglomeration and network externalities are also welcome. Four types of CES were launched, each aiming to address specific development bottlenecks: Growth and Competitiveness Poles, Other Clusters, Urban Regeneration and Development Actions and Programmes for the Economic Enhancement of Endogenous Resources. Taken together, they provide policy action to stimulate trade-oriented knowledge provision, innovation in goods and services or processes, urban economic drivers and sustainable and durable networks of economic activity in low-density territories. Before presenting the CES, the paper provides the relevant theoretical background. A synthesis of current endogenous regional development models paves the way to introduce the key concept of collective efficiency. Some data on the application country helps to motivate the discussion.