engleski

The Regional Dimension of Industrial Policy - Croatian Developmental Challenge

Regional development in the Republic of Croatia has long been disregarded as a primary development goal, which is confirmed by the data of numerous studies on regional disproportions. This problem is particularly noticeable in the regions whose economic structure was based mostly on manufacturing facilities, regions that were vulnerable to the transition crisis of 1990s that resulted in major negative consequences such as lower output, employment and revenues in those areas. Competitiveness based on excellence is a helpful tool for finding the areas of smart specializations that generate competition among regions and sectors. Technological excellence does not necessarily lead to a regional economic advantage. What is necessary is a regional innovation policy that will enable the absorption of knowledge and diffusion of regional capacities. In that sense, a new industrial policy is being considered in terms of quality of the innovation system based on a range of different institutional forms (R&D infrastructure, triple helix). Finally, it is discussed what a decentralized approach to industrial policy should be. Key factors required for decentralization should be assessed, such as the main characteristics of the region’s manufacturing enterprises, institutional resources and the synergy of economic actors in accordance with the triple-helix principle. The paper aims to discuss the regional dimension of the industrial policy in eight Croatian Counties with similar historical and political legacy, which all face regional issues at the time when national industrial policy is virtually non- existent.

regional problem; new industrial policy; smart specializations; triple helix

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