Industrial Change and Regional Economic Transformation

Prepared by a team of world-renowned specialists from the United Nations Centre for Regional Development, this book explores the structure and dynamics underlying industrial change and regional economic development within Western Europe. Divided into two main areas of study, it gives both an overview of patterns within the European Community at large and provides a more detailed analytical approach to development trends in the form of case studies concentrating on the economics of individual countries including the United Kingdom, West Germany, France and Sweden. Examining both successful and unsuccessful regional experiences, policies are identified which serve to document the course of change in each nation and to pinpoint the factors underlying their occurrence. By interpreting and reappraising recent European industrial and economic behaviour, the study demonstrates the potential impact of innovation in communications, transportation and information technology.
Focusing on the problems of regional deindustrialization, the current effectiveness of local, national and European policies, the survey concludes by reporting on the possible implications of these findings not only for Western Europe but also for many other newly industrializing nations.