Welcome

Countries are facing significant economic volatility.  The effectiveness of current economic strategies is being questioned and new visions of the economy are emerging.

This conference offers a timely opportunity to rethink the approach to regional growth and define new strategic directions for regional policy. Opportunities for growth exist in all regions - urban, intermediate, and rural. Policies to trigger growth should move beyond traditional ones - based exclusively on infrastructure provision or schooling - toward policies that encourage regions to capitalise on their specific competitive advantages and mobilise local assets and resources.

A framework for understanding regional growth

The conference will focus on the policy implications of a more targeted approach to growth, setting out a framework for understanding regional growth and its impact on national growth.

Topics for discussion include:

• Promoting growth in all types of regions: key considerations
• Mechanisms for promoting growth: human capital and innovation
• How to integrate local labour markets and infrastructure
• Developing a good business environment for growth
• Encouraging strong local coordination and leadership to better impact growth

The Road to Sustainable Growth

The conference will launch the OECD publication Promoting Growth in all Types of Regions,  which analyses the growth capacity of different types of regions, including the main factors driving growth and the main bottlenecks faced by regions. This work is an important part of a longer-term programme that examines how sub-national economic performance contributes and relates to aggregate national performance, and how policy initiatives can maximise its impact.

Information and participation

Full details will be available shortly along with practical arrangements and registration formalities.  In the meantime, please contact Betty-Ann Bryce at GOV.RegionalGrowthConference@oecd.org.