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Cross-border
economic
development
9
Practical guide : building partnerships
Defining
optimal scopes
for partnership
The complexity of government action and of
interactions between the public and private sectors
in the area of economic development is amplified in
a cross-border context by asymmetry between the
different sides of the border.
It is therefore a challenge to create efficient governance
of cross-border economic development.
It means first of all defining the optimal scope for
partnerships for cross-border economic development,
by identifying the essential players and skills, means
of action, complementarities between players, unifying
elements, etc. The fields under consideration (access to
innovation, labour market, etc.) may call for initiatives at
different levels.
Next, it is important to improve coordination between
territorial levels and the different thematic aspects of
economic development. A set of areas of competence
and themes are attached to each level of government
authority; in this regard, the territorial reform underway
in France is a sign of the shift towards a greater
economic role for regions and conurbations.
Lastly, the partnerships must be sustained. To have
a real effect on the territory, economic development
initiatives must be conceived over the long term; which
is why sustainable governance is one of the factors that
determines the success of public policy in this area.