The basic aim of this paper is a brief presentation of the current situation as regards some central aspects of social policy formation and implementation in the European Union. The general rationale of the paper is the viewing of the European Union as one of the major global actors towards...

The importance of entrepreneurship for economic growth has been emphasised by economic literature. The recent debate on the determinants of output growth has concentrated mainly on the role of knowledge, typically produced by a specific sector of the economy, and furthermore in the role of...

This paper investigates the relationship between productivity and technological change. The question that we shall address in this paper, is whether the recent slow down in productivity can be explained by the slow-down of innovation activities. This paper measures technical change through the...

Unlike most enthusiastic narratives of various success stories in recent North European regional economic development led by innovation, localized learning, social capital and institutional embeddedness, this paper deals with a set of major stresses and problems of local economic development in...

Research and Development (R&D) and technical change are both directly related to industrial infrastructure conditions, modernization process, productivity levels, regional and socio-economic growth. Technological change caused by Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) usually widens the...

The importance of diffusion of technology for economic growth has been emphasised by economic literature. Much of the recent work on economic growth can be viewed as refining the basic economic insights of classical economists. The recent debate on the determinants of output growth has...

Technological change and innovation activities contribute essentially to the regional dimension and productivity growth. The technological infrastructure and innovation capabilities affect not only the regional growth, but also the whole periphery and economy as well. In the last decades, OECD...

The paper is a theoretical discussion and analysis of the relations between socio-economic policies, land use change and desertification in four countries of Southern Europe: Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The discussion is based on preliminary findings of an international research programme...

How inequality is generated and how it reproduces over time? This has been a major concern of social scientists for more than a century. The changes in aggregate or average income is a good measure for economic growth but is far from being the only one. There is an increasing “inequality”...

There is a huge literature regarding the main determinants and sources of economic growth. Most of the recent work emphasizes on the role of knowledge, and innovation activities typically produced by a specific sector of the economy, and furthermore in the role of entrepreneurship and analysing...