RISE: Regional Integrated Strategies in Europe: Final Report

Over recent decades it has become increasingly obvious that the skills and resources of a variety of sectors – not just the public but also voluntary and private sectors – must be brought together in order to achieve successful regional development. This new approach necessitates the creation of new more inclusive forms of governance, with a movement away from traditional hierarchical institutions towards flexible cooperative networks, clusters and partnerships. It also involves a recognition that policy-makers operate within a system of multi-level governance, and that the interventions of different levels of governance may not necessarily be aligned with one another. In this report we set out the findings of the RISE project, which examines the pursuit of integrated strategies in four European regions: the Randstad (NL), West Midlands (UK), Västerbotten (SE), and Zealand (DK). These regions illustrate the diversity of Europe. The Randstad contains the Netherland’s two major conurbations and encompasses a complex range of powerful governance centres. The West Midlands includes the urban centres of Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull and Coventry, as well as an extensive sub-urban and rural hinterland of shire counties. Västerbotten and Zealand are both primarily rural with low levels of urban concentration, although Zealand is adjacent to the capital region of Copenhagen. Despite their differences, these regions are amongst the more economically advanced territories of the EU.