Throughout the literature in regional economics, most authors agree that spatially concentrated industrial activities are important for regional economic growth. Agglomeration economies, which may occur in the context of spatial concentration and "clusters", may lead to lower costs of production...

Though the basic economic problems are still of the same kind all over East Germany, partially considerable regional differences exist in respect to the conditions for further economic development. Therefore, detailed empirical analyses for the individual Länder and their sub-regions are...

In the 1990s a lot was done to strengthen public research efforts in East Germany. The main indicators relating to public research reflect an ambivalent picture. Investment by universities and public research institutions outside the universities reached a higher level than in West Germany....

A discussion about the reform of regional policy in Germany and in the EU is ongoing. Against this background the article investigates the regional disparities between similar types of regions in East and West Germany after reunification. The findings do not only show a general East-West gap of...

Choosing the appropriate organisational model for local government (i. e. centralised vs. federal model) forms an essential challenge for local communities. Against the background of Fiscal Federalism, a trade-off between the two models mentioned can be expected: Though the centralised model may...

Die Abteilung Stadtökonomik des IWH veranstaltete am 27. und 28. November 2008 das zweite Halle Forum on Urban Economic Growth. Die Forumsvorträge sowie die in das Programm eingebettete Podiumsdiskussion beschäftigten sich mit der Frage, welche strategischen Handlungsmöglichkeiten Städten...

It is well-known today that innovation activities of private firms play a significant role for economic growth in less-developed regions. There are many studies on these interrelations and on explaining how regional innovation processes are working and which factors are important for them....

Das Postulat, 'gleichwertige Lebensverhältnisse' in allen Teilräumen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland herzustellen, wurde in den letzten Jahren in der öffentlichen und wissenschaftlichen Diskussion zunehmend zur Disposition gestellt. Die Kritiker des Status quo reklamieren sowohl eine geringe...