Regional business development and R&D productivity carrousel

Abstract

This paper proposes a practical ―Baltic Brains Exchange‖ vehicle to a) stimulate regional business development, b) improve R&D productivity, and c) connect regional SME‘s and training schools with emerging Baltic energy and transport clusters and projects. A proposal is presented for a polycentric ‗carrousel exchange‘ training and R&D programme, to connect groups in Kurzeme, Riga, Tallinn, Sweden, and Klaipeda with the Swedish led ‗Baltic Ring of Energy‘ project and the Chinese deep water port initiative at Klaipeda. This programme includes four longitudinal research projects in geothermal energy, transport, food quality and water quality. Regional experts would present a series of innovation workshops at participating centres. An operational handbook of regional case studies is included. A polycentric rather than monocentric approach is recommended based on findings of Shunfeng Song (1992), MacDonald (2008) and a current empirical study of ‗psychological distance‘ which gives a parametric measure of ‗connectivity‘ relevant to polycentric logistics. Current empirical data show people in Riga see Moscow and Kiev as being closer than Berlin despite these three cities being equidistant in kilometres. Russians in Riga rate Moscow as closer than Kiev. Latvians see Kiev as closer. Perceived distance ratings correlate with trade volumes, freight movements, tourism, business travel & teledensity. They also reflect decentralisation processes and have ramifications for polycentric density functions and commuting patterns. Regional development and Latvia‘s labour migration to the west are discussed in relation to monocentric planning and overburdening. Results of these findings are discussed in the context of Edward Hall‘s monochronic and polychronic cultures, Bertalanffy‘s open and closed systems, Chomsky‘s surface structure / deep structure concepts and Huntington‘s dynamics of fault lines, tribalism and globalism in the nation states.