Governance, Science Policy and Regions: An Introduction

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Andy Pike of CURDS, University of Newcastle, for his role as overseeing editor and for critical insights in the review process. Thanks also to Gail Welsh for her invaluable assistance in bringing this special issue to fruition.

Notes

1. The Building Science Regions project, as a collaboration between SURF and CURDS at the University of Newcastle, developed case studies of the North West and North East of England, Alsace (France), North Rhine Westphalia (Germany) and Catalonia (Spain).

2. With this aim in mind, the reader's attention is drawn to a special issue of Regions, the newsletter of the Regional Studies Association, also edited by the present editors and aimed at a non-specialist academic and policy audience on the theme of ‘Building Science Regions and Cities’ (August 2006, No. 263).

3. Mercosur or the Southern Common Market is a Regional Trade Agreement between Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela (joined 2006) founded in 1991. The Association of the South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was originally established in 1967 but more recently has consolidated its influence through the establishment of three pillars: the Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community. It has ten members (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). The North American Free Trade Agreement was established in 1994 between the USA, Canada and Mexico.

4. Examples include the conflict over the DIAMOND synchrotron radiation source in 1999/2000 between the North West and South East of England; efforts by Yorkshire and Humber Development Agency to secure the European Spallation Source in the face of competition from other European (largely German) regions; and debate over the location of the International Thermonuclear Reactor between the Spanish region of Catalonia and the French region of Provence–Alpes–Côtes-d'Azur. In each of these cases conflict has emerged over the location of major scientific facilities with regions competing for the potential to host and co-fund infrastructural investments.