An emerging North Sea macro-region? Implications for Scotland

ABSTRACT

International networks provide opportunities for learning and collaboration on development, resilience, and recovery. Cooperation in northern Europe suggests that there could be knowledge and good practice transfers from the experiences of the Baltic Sea macro-region to neighboring areas. The periphery around the North Sea has taken a leading role in developing innovative institutional approaches to resilient and sustainable economic development. A multilevel governance approach examines whether this emerging cooperation could benefit from the macro-regional approach. The role of regional development agencies and European Partnerships in these kinds of environments is contrasted with experiences in less developed institutional landscapes. Scotland’s ambiguous position is discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Macro-regions
• multilevel governance
• North Sea
• Baltic Sea region
• periphery
• regional development agencies
• networking and partnerships
• Scotland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Most stakeholders consider the North Sea-English Channel area to embrace the marine area of the North Sea and the passages to the Baltic Sea (Skagerrak and Kattegat), the Atlantic (English Channel) and the Norwegian Sea, as well as the coastal regions that surround it, involving the EU Member States of Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Great Britain, together with the non-EU states of Norway and Iceland.

2. UK Nordic Baltic Summit in London (January 2011) – Discussion groups and pre-identified challenges.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mike Danson

Mike Danson is Professor of Enterprise Policy and Director of Doctoral Programs, SML, at Heriot-Watt University. He has researched widely on regional economic development, especially in remote and rural areas, and offered policy advice to national and regional governments, international organizations, communities and civic institutions on enterprise, employability, volunteering, renewable energy, and demographic change.