The Bío Bío Region has pioneered regional development in Chile. It has a high concentration of higher education and research activity. Its universities and other higher education institutions have made significant progress in widening access to education. But challenges remain: the Bío Bío...

The State of Victoria is a knowledge-intensive centre for Australia: educational services are Victoria’s strongest export worth more than AUD 5 billion, surpassing tourism and automotive sectors. Victoria is a magnet for immigration, and the international student enrolment represents over 30%...

Berlin is a creative city attracting talent from around the world. The Berlin Senate has made great strides in developing innovation as a pillar of its economy. But challenges remain: there is long-term unemployment, a low absorptive capacity in small and medium-sized enterprises and a large...

Amsterdam has the characteristics of creativeness, openness and diversity that make it attractive to global talent and a young population. It has strong research universities and excellent transport infrastructure including one of the world’s leading airports. It is the financial capital of...

This review finds that Lombardy is the most prosperous region in Italy. Thanks to its economic diversity, it has demonstrated unusual resilience in the face of the global recession. But the region faces long-term challenges emerging from an ageing population, immigration and slow adaptation of...

This publication reviews higher education and economic development in the State of Penang, Malaysia. It finds that Penang is one of Malaysia’s most industrial states. Its long-term economic growth has been based on manufacturing and foreign direct investments. Strong dependence on...

Paraná is one of the most prosperous states in Brazil and has invested in higher education, science and technology, and public-private partnerships. Its higher education scene is dominated by federal and state universities, but the private sector enrolls a much higher number of students,...

Andalusia is the most populous region in Spain with over 8 million people. Historically a crossroads of three cultures – Hispanic, Jewish and Arabic – it has enjoyed remarkable growth and development over the past decades, but still lags behind the Spanish averages in key socio-economic...

Israel has developed a strong economy with entrepreneurial drive and high tech driven growth, but the socio-economic divide between population groups is growing. In the Galilee, about half of the population is Arab. A key challenge for the Galilee and Israel is the disparity between Arab and...