Abstract In Germany there is a discussion on the design of regional policy, whether cohesion is still appropriate or should be replaced by a regional growth policy for efficiency reasons. This discussion is most notably founded with theoretical arguments from the new growth theory as well as the...

In this paper, the process of productivity convergence is investigated for the enlarged European Union using regional (NUTS-2) data. The Solow model extended by human capital is employed as a workhorse. Alternative strategies are proposed to control for spatial effects. All specifications...

Recent developments in the regional policy have stressed the importance of regional networks. Now the definition of innovation regions, which reflect the knowledge spatial activities, is becoming relevant. The spatial econometric estimation of a production function, which is based on endegenous...

Convergence of EU regions is an often examined research question. However, there are no studies available which include in their analysis the New Member States from the former Eastern Bloc. We estimate several models of absolute convergence and of conditional convergence taking into account the...

The main focus of convergence studies surrounds the question ofwhether poor economies catch up to wealthier economies over time. The regionalconvergence process in Europe has generated considerable interest in recent years.Due to financial straits regional convergence is a central question,...