Acquisition of industrial enterprises and its relations with regional identity: The case of the beer industry in Central Europe

ABSTRACT

The development of globalisation has ushered in fundamental changes that have led to a break in the relationship between places of production and places of consumption, and sometimes a rejection of global products and corporations at the local level in accordance with neolocalism. The objective of the article is to examine the effect of regional identity on the local impacts of global processes by applying a multilevel analysis of the brewing industry, in which consumers are very sensitive to changes in the beer offered and can influence it, for example by putting pressure on representatives of restaurants. Beginning with extensive research on the international level, the authors point out the various impacts of brewery acquisitions in three Central European countries – Czechia, Poland and Slovakia – that differ regarding the role of beer in the identity of their inhabitants. Thereafter, they focus on two Czech beer brands, the production of which was relocated to other regions after acquisitions. Based on field studies in the regions of the brands’ original production, the authors find that both brands lost popularity among their original customers. They conclude that for Czech customers, the place of production may be an important factor when choosing a beer brand.     

The importance of Swedish–Norwegian border residents’ perspectives for bottom-up cross-border planning strategies

ABSTRACT

There is political interest in Sweden’s proximity to Norway, which is reflected in the regional policy focusing on developing business needs. As such, proximity at the regional level is simply expected to generate economic growth. The authors propose a holistic approach to spatial planning in a Swedish–Norwegian border region in place of the simplistic economic perspective. The aim of the article is to highlight the importance of adopting a bottom-up cross-border planning perspective that is based on the perceptions of the border region residents by showing that the proximity of Norway is important to communities in Värmland Province, on the border with Norway, in a different way from how regional authorities and policymakers perceive it. The authors used a qualitative method in their study. They found that residents were more interested in the individual, social, and cultural opportunities of the border, while authorities stressed traditional growth strategies. In conclusion, the authors recommend that policymakers should implement a bottom-up cross-border planning strategy (CBPS) in Värmland that includes the residents’ perspective, as a reinforcement of place-based policy approaches.     

Fostering renewable energy with smart specialisation? Insights into European innovation policy

ABSTRACT

The transition to a low-carbon economy is a major challenge confronting policymakers at all government levels. In the European Union (EU), ambitious targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emission are linked to aspirations of fostering green growth at national and regional levels. These aspirations have been manifested in a recent radical policy change through the introduction of the smart specialisation research and innovation strategy (RIS3) for national and regional development. The novelty of the RIS3 compared with previous EU innovation policy is that it aims to develop regional competitiveness based on the harnessing of regional assets rather than focusing on the provision of innovation infrastructure. In this article, the authors employ a mixed-methods research approach both to explore the nature and content of energy-related priority settings in RIS3 strategies in the EU and to address the question of regions’ abilities to foster renewable energy through their place-based strategies. The article contributes to the literature on policy strategies for realising EU energy and emissions targets and the RIS3 aim of developing competitive advantages. The main conclusions are that energy-related priority settings vary substantially within RIS3, and that regional innovation policy ambitions may be hindered by unconducive policy frameworks at national levels.     

RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN FAROESE FISHING INDUSTRY

Guttesen, Rolf: Recent development in Faroese fishing industry. Geografisk Tidsskrift 80: 102–108. Copenhagen, June 1980.

The comprehensive changes experienced by the Faroese fishing and fish-processing industries during the last decade are outlined; the impact caused by the new fishing limits in the North Atlantic, introduced 1977, combined with presentday's advanced equipment is discussed.     

Responding to Negative Public Attitudes towards Immigration through Analysis and Policy: regional and unemployment dimensions

ABSTRACT

This paper examines two key dimensions of the impact of immigration for Australia and related policy aspects. One is sub-national and the other is national. They are, first, the regional location aspects of immigration and, second, the aggregate unemployment implications of immigration. These are chosen so as to focus on two important issues that condition public attitudes towards immigration. In relation to the first, there is a common positive view that channelling migration towards regional areas assists regional development and reduces pressure on metropolitan areas. The paper reviews regional concepts embodied in Australian immigration policy and the ways in which visa arrangements have implemented policies geared towards the regional dispersal of immigrants. Using official data, it discusses the demographic impacts of these policies and, in particular, considers the extent to which immigrants to regional Australia remain there over the longer term. In relation to unemployment, a common concern is that immigrants take jobs from local workers. The paper examines—using statistical regression methodology—the relationship between immigration and national aggregate unemployment in Australia. It evaluates the net consequences of immigration for both existing residents and new arrivals together. The paper concludes that, with good policy design in each case, regional location encouragement can be effective for immigrants and that immigrants need not take more jobs than they create. The analysis demonstrates that mixed-methods approaches to important social science issues can be productive, and helpful also for policy. Evidence, such as that presented in this paper, offers a powerful basis from which to counter negative public and political discourses surrounding immigration in contemporary Australia.     

辽宁沿海经济带产业分工研究

为反映区域产业分工现状,利用变异系数与空间洛伦茨曲线、空间基尼系数相结合,在产品层次上,对辽宁沿海经济带产业分工现状进行定量研究并提出相应的协调发展建议。结果表明：辽宁沿海经济带农业和采掘业依据自身比较优势发展相应产业,产业分工较为明确;制造业在行业层次存在同构现象,但在产品层次上,各地差异化发展明显,区域产业分工逐步显现;第三产业内部结构亟待调整,其中基础服务业与个人消费服务业发展较为完善,但生产和市场服务业中的金融、物流和专业技术服务业与公共服务业中的公共管理服务业发展相对滞后,影响工业化进程的推进与产业结构的升级。在此基础上,针对各产业分工结果,提出相应的协调发展建议。     

辽宁沿海经济带产业分工研究简

为反映区域产业分工现状,利用变异系数与空间洛伦茨曲线、空间基尼系数相结合,在产品层次上,对辽宁沿海经济带产业分工现状进行定量研究并提出相应的协调发展建议。结果表明：辽宁沿海经济带农业和采掘业依据自身比较优势发展相应产业,产业分工较为明确;制造业在行业层次存在同构现象,但在产品层次上,各地差异化发展明显,区域产业分工逐步显现;第三产业内部结构亟待调整,其中基础服务业与个人消费服务业发展较为完善,但生产和市场服务业中的金融、物流和专业技术服务业与公共服务业中的公共管理服务业发展相对滞后,影响工业化进程的推进与产业结构的升级。在此基础上,针对各产业分工结果,提出相应的协调发展建议。     

东南亚汽车生产格局的演变及其动因分析

亚洲金融危机后,东南亚的汽车生产迅速恢复并快速增加,其增长率大大高于世界平均水平。在布局上东南亚汽车生产具有如下特点：①生产高度集中于少数国家,而且集中趋势不断增强;②轿车与商用车平分秋色,但各国有所不同;③生产网络由日本跨国公司主导。形成上述格局的主要原因是由于东南亚各国汽车市场的增长,内部一体化加强,以及当地的政策保护和鼓励等。     

中国服务业空间差异的影响因素与空间分异特征

结合相关分析、回归分析等方法深入剖析中国服务业空间差异的影响因素,进而运用聚类分析和Theil系数探讨中国三大地带间、三大地带内和31个省(区,市)服务业发展的空间分异特征。研究表明:经济发展水平、城市发展程度、市场发育程度、交通通信水平、经济全球化水平和人力资源丰度是影响中国服务业发展空间差异的主要因素;根据31个省(区,市)服务业发展水平的差异,将其划分为发达、次发达、较发达、欠发达和不发达五个基本区域类型;中国服务业空间分异的基本格局总体稳定、略有波动;不同省(区,市)服务业内部结构存在着明显的梯度差异;1990年以来,中国服务业发展的整体差异水平扩张迅速,而三大地带间、地带内的区域差异变动较为缓和,东部地带内省际差异进一步扩大,对全国总体差异的影响最大。     

长江三角洲区域政策变迁与跨国公司布局演变

跨国公司倾向于布局在交易成本和转形(生产)成本较小的区域.改革开放以来,中国实施的一系列区域政策减小了跨国公司的交易成本.通过对长江三角洲区域政策的梳理,分析了区域政策变迁与跨国公司布局的时空演变,发现跨国公司在长三角空间布局一直呈扩散趋势,具有和区域政策变迁同步的3 个阶段：① 初始阶段,跨国公司布局与区域政策关联较弱,集中在区域中心上海;② 集聚阶段,跨国公司在生产成本低、政策强度高的沪宁沿线城市集聚;③ 网络化阶段,跨国公司在生产成本低、政策强度高、早期集聚的区域形成区域性生产网络,并向长三角的边缘区扩散.不同阶段跨国公司布局机制存在差异,降低交易成本的区域政策的影响变得显著,区域的集聚效应、科技水平历来受到重视,而区域经济效率和劳动力成本、交通等传统要素成本对跨国公司布局的影响逐渐减弱.     

The Demise of the Commercial Banana Industry in West Cameroon

Abstract

In little more than 20 years, the banana industry in West Cameroon rapidly boomed, and just as quickly declined. The banana was selected by officials of the newly created Cameroons Development Corporation in 1946 to be its major money crop, and from 1947 to 1957, the industry's income steadily rose to a high of over $6,000,000 for a year's production. During the next dozen years, production declined to the point where no new plantings are contemplated, and for all intents and purposes, the industry is almost dead. Factors accounting for the demise of this banana industry include: unsuitable climatic conditions; seemingly inevitable blights; loss of Commonwealth preference on exports to the United Kingdom; and foreign competition. Producers of almost all commercial agricultural products in tropical Africa contend with precisely the same risks and/or problems that the Cameroon banana grower faced. As a case study, the Cameroon banana situation reveals that sometimes all risks were poor ones, and therefore changes in land use had to be made, utilizing other, more stable commercial crops.     

Economic Development Threatens Groundwater in Puerto Rico: Results of a Field Study

Abstract

This report addresses the question of groundwater quality in a context of economic development and heterogeneous land use. Seven wells, each actively producing for the public water supply, and together providing 37 percent of the total aquifer production of four municipios, were tested in three topographic basins. Major land use categories, including agriculture, urbanization, and industry, were identified throughout the basins. Well samples were drawn three times during a six-month period and analyzed for a set of 15 water quality parameters including biological indicators. The most common pollutants detected were heavy metals, nitrate, arsenic, and semivolatile organic compounds. Wells surrounded by agricultural and commercial activities were contaminated by nitrate, mercury, lead, and phthalates. Wells in mixed residential and industrial settings had concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds and lead. The presence of noxious chemicals in the public water supply, even in relatively small amounts, threatens the viability of the groundwater reservoir. Both operational and policy aspects of water quality should be discussed in the context of urban and economic development.     

Teaching Historical Geographies of American Film Production

Abstract

The geographies of Hollywood are multiple, contradictory, ephemeral and tangible. Our preconceived conceptions of space and place play a dynamic role in what elements we tend to focus on when discussing the cultural industry of American cinema. This essay uses Hollywood as a metaphor for the American film production industry and a historical geography of production as a framework to explore major spatial and structural changes within this industry from its inception to the present. It highlights teaching methods and materials from the course A Geography of Film at Southern Connecticut State University. Mode of production relates to the economic process where capital, labor, knowledge and imagination are blended to produce a culturalized product for consumption. The American film industry is a fine example of the commodification of culture.     

湖北省区域经济差距及其变化的产业分解

基于人均GDP基尼系数及其变化的结构分解,对湖北省区域经济差距的动态变化、产业构成进行了深刻的分析,揭示了20世纪90年代中期以来该省17个地市州之间人均GDP差距及其变化的动力机制。结果表明,非农产业是湖北省区域经济差距的决定性因素,而非农产业尤其是第二产业地理集中程度的提高又是推动湖北省区域经济差距扩大的主导性因素。缓解湖北省区域经济差距的现实选择并不仅仅局限于加快落后地区非农产业发展,还应该促进生产要素流动,推动人口向工业化程度高的地区集中,降低湖北省生产与人口地区分布的不一致性。     

Governance and territoriality in Norwegian fisheries

This paper focuses on the informal and institutional governance structures that are embedded within local production systems in Norwegian fisheries. Important issues concern the regional distribution of fish landings resulting from the tendency in some regional production systems to use large fishing vessels, and the negative consequences of this for peripheral regions and inshore fisheries. The influence of powerful central production systems is considered in terms of territorial dominance over fishing grounds.     

区域创新政策评价的框架、测度与检验

构建区域创新政策评价的理论框架,在宏观知识生产函数中引入信息化作为创新技术进步的替代变量,基于DEA与Malmquist指数,用全要素生产率指数存量来衡量区域创新政策。并以省际高技术产业为例进行了实证,研究结果表明：区域创新政策的特征和评价维度决定评价的多样性,基于政策效果与政策交互作用的区域创新政策评价具有重要意义;区域创新政策总体上处于稳步提高阶段,较低地区以西部中部地区为主;区域创新政策测度模型系统性较好,其检验方法有待进一步深化;采用政府研发经费投入作为区域创新政策的替代变量值得商榷。     

江苏文化产业时空格局及其影响因素研究

在明晰相关概念基础上,构建文化产业发展水平评价体系,运用定量方法分析江苏文化产业发展水平及其时空格局,研究表明：江苏文化产业发展过程呈现倒“U”型,发展态势显露转型性,发展水平具有非均衡性,发展格局呈现点轴趋向性,发展机制具有明显的外力驱动性。基于此,提出以下建议：强化政府调控,注重政策创新,促进江苏文化产业稳健发展;强化科技人才,注重市场激活,促进江苏文化产业转型发展;实施多元战略,注重因地制宜,实现区域文化产业特色发展;强化区域整合,注重优化布局,实现区域文化产业共同发展。     

关中城市群工业分工协调及密集带规划研究

以关中城市群为研究区域,选取西安、咸阳、宝鸡、渭南、铜川5个地级市2010年统计年鉴中工业分行业产值数据,采用产业结构相似系数和产业区域同构系数的计算方法,对关中5个地级市工业行业相似程度和地区间产业同构程度进行测度分析,结果表明：关中城市群中13.9%的工业行业存在产业同构问题,36.1%的工业行业存在严重的产业同构问题。一级核心城市西安和二级核心城市宝鸡的工业产业同构程度较大（0.678）,不利于产业转移和产业链的延伸升级。咸阳和渭南、咸阳和铜川的工业同构程度也较大,不利于区域间产业分工和合作,需要进行协调整合。通过选用区位商、产业专门化率、产业比较劳动生产率作为指标,对关中5个地级市工业行业发展情况进行综合比较,得出各市综合优势工业产业,进一步确定各市工业产业重点发展方向。依照产业地理分布状况,结合各市产业专业化及关中专业化情况、产业规模和产业链条及产品分工,提出关中城市群应重点发展汽车生产制造、石油化工、纺织服装、机电装备、有色金属、医药制造、食品饮料烟草等七大工业密集带。产业密集带作为最有效的产业空间组织形式,可为关中城市群工业发展形成规模与集聚效应提供理论支持。     

Urbanisation and centralisation in Norway

The need for population data in regional analysis

Policies targeting regional areas have been a central part of the planning system in Norway, at least since the last war – as they have been in many countries and now even on the European level through the European Union (EU). These policies are dependent upon relevant data on different regional levels. Criteria reflecting population growth, distribution and structure, are often used in analyses, preceding concrete planning initiatives and economic redistribution measures.     

American viticultural areas: A problem in regional geography

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine a particular type of formal geographic region—the viticultural region—to promote an understanding of the geographical bases of wine production. The authors have found that the viticultural area is an excellent vehicle for teaching students how geographers construct and analyze regions. Although the wine industry in the United States is concentrated overwhelmingly in California and secondarily in a belt running from New York across Pennsylvania and into Ohio, most of the lower 48 states have at least one officially recognized viticultural area. The following problem has been developed to be used “as is” or to be modified for any state or region in the country. By the end of the problem, students have gained hands-on experience in defining regions, correlating physical geography with human activities, and thinking about the importance of place names and scale.