The Importance of Integrated Regional Development Concepts

1. The Importance of Integrated Regional Development Concepts Prof. Dr. Ulf Hahne Keila, 28 June 2005 Department Sustainable Regional Development

2. Future I don‘t mind about the future. It‘s coming early enough. [Albert Einstein]

3. Alternative Ways into the Future strawfire single action different ideas

4. Cloned Recipes, Straw Fires and Rebound Effects Experience from the New Länder (Germany) • using well known recipes from abroad such as: • “establish new industrial estates”

5. Cloned Recipes, Straw Fires and Rebound Effects Experience from the New Länder (Germany) • results:

6. Alternative Ways into the Future strawfire single action different ideas new ways sustainablefuture

7. Looking Forward:The Best Arrangement for Your Region • Combine the assets of the region • Motivate and bundle the actors of the region • Work in the same direction • Follow a common elaborated strategy • Organize participation for broad acceptance • Put it together – in an integrated regional concept.

8. Definition: Integrated Regional Development Concept IRDC is … • a territorial, area based • bottom-up approach: built on participation and regional partnership • a sector-integrating action strategy • a process.

9. Four Factors for Success I. Territorialapproach III. Com-prehensiveconcept Region II. Actors IV. Process-management

10. I II III R IV I Territorial Approach

11. I II III R IV I Territorial Approach • The region in the focus • Endogenous potential • nature and landscape • resources • human potentials • people • firms • know how, qualification • experience • creativity • networks

12. I II III R IV I Territorial Approach • The region in the focus • Endogenous potentials, assets, actors • Judge the potentials • What are strengths, what weaknesses? • Compare with other regions! • Look at the future: • Where are risks? • Where are opportunities? • Bring people together to produce synergies

13. II I III R IV II Actors Actors – partners for regional development • Constellation of and between actors are decidable for regional acting. • Actors have special • capabilities (resources), • perceptions, • preferences. • Actors are: enterprises, administration, politics, non-governmental-organisations, stakeholders, inhabitants …

14. II I III R IV II Actors • Actors are: You! • Activate Your neighbour! • Bring in Your ideas! • Use helping agencies! • Initiate working groups! • Build up partnership! • Build up win-win-situations! • Don’t forget: Include key persons!

15. III I II R IV III Comprehensive Concept Strategy instead of piecemeal adding of projects: • Elaborate a territorial, comprehensive development concept • Contents • Analysis of regional potentials • Objectives • Key themes / key activities • Action plan / measures • Elaborate this concept in participatory agreement with the region

16. VIEWPOINTS “where are we now?” VISION AND OBJECTIVES “where do we want to be?” STRATEGIES/POLICIES “how can we ensure we get there?” ACTION PLANS III “what actions will achieve our policies and who needs to act?” CONTROLLING I II “how do we know we have achieved definite improvements?” R STATE OF THE REGION REPORTS “how do we review what is happening?” IV Integrated Regional Development Concept

17. IV I II III R IV Process-Management • Regional development needs organizational structures for: • organizing dialog • running the partnership • managing knowledge transfer • creating new networks • continuing the strategy…

18. Von linearer Kommunikation zur kooperativen Mitarbeit problem set objectives ! announce plan / concept measures inner circle debates inner circle decides defend Dead-Model DEcide Announce Defend

19. cooperativecollecting ? discusswith another ! decide acttogether From linear communication to cooperative working process

20. Regional Partnership • The whole system in one room: • authorities • entrepreneurs • non-governmental organizations • stakeholders • citizens • multipliers • actors • working together – agreement in objectives and measures

21. nature and landscape tourism marketing culture gastronomy accomodation commerce sports + leisure information education traffic The whole system in a room:e.g. Forum Tourism and Landscape Forum

22. I II III IV R Results of an IRDCBidirectional Effects An IRDC can produce effects in two directions: • intra-regional:Strengthening the inner-regional potential and energies • extra-regional:Announcement to others outside

23. I II III IV R Intra-regional Effects • activating regional potentials, intrinsic assets of the area • co-ordinating the different local actors • creating a common perspective • reducing conflicting goals • bundling the crucial regional activities • discovering synergies and using them • providing regional priorities in the regional project-list • strengthening the regional identity

24. I II III IV R Extra-regional Effects • giving clear signals to authorities on national and international level (EU) • accelerate project realisation and project grants • making the grants more effective by concentrating on lead-projects • image-effects: making the region known

25. Examples • small regions – cooperation of few communities(e.g. RDC Thüringen) • medium sized regions (e.g. Rhön: 1.800 km², 120.000 inhabitants) • large regions – metropolitan areas (e.g. Hamburg: >3 million inhabitants, 18.000 km²)

26. multi-sectoral integration agriculture craft commerce tourism nature conservation BiosphereReserve Highlands of the „Rhön“ (Germany)

27. multi-sectoral integration agriculture craft commerce tourism nature conservation projects Rhön-sheep AG vegetable oil “from grain to bread” regional kitchen Rhön wood furniture BiosphereReserve Highlands of the „Rhön“ (Germany)

28. Regional development conceptsThüringen (FRG) REK in Thüringen I legendstarting point

29. Advantages of IRDC regional appropriate strategy participation acceptance activation and cooperationof multipliers and actors common definition of objectives and measures clear signals for the region… and for extra-regional authorities and others

30. Challenges for IRDC adjustments during the process complexity management capacities participation and transaction costs integration in other policies time-horizon

31. Thank You very much for Your Attention!