The Future of European Competitiveness: A Trans-Atlantic Perspective

While the EU’s attention to competitiveness is to be welcomed, the spatial implications of targeted policies need to be evaluated in terms of their spatial implica-tions, US experience suggests that such policies may exacerbate regional inequalities. In addition, the expected job creation from such policies may not be as large or as sustained as hoped. The Draghi report highlights the need for regional science to be more conscious about demonstrating the macroeconomic implications of attention to regional development inequalities.