Innovations in the Baltic Rim Region until 2025: Challenges and Prospects

This article examines the role of different actors (European Union [EU] structures, governmental institutions of the member-states, and regional companies with global outreach) in development of the innovation strategy in the Baltic Sea Rim. We identify three sub-regions, which are now in the stage of gradual convergence (“old” and “new” member-states of the EU as well as Russia), and focus on the main challenge to the region today, which is the ability of its countries to secure and strengthen the liberal nature of their socioeconomic systems. This research is based on the findings of the studies undertaken by authors as well as on our personal experience in the development of the Russian innovative ecosystem. It concludes that to avoid technological lagging behind other regions, governments of the Baltic Sea countries should complement the EU policies by implementing a set of proactive measures aimed at promotion of national innovations and intraregional cooperation.     

The Economies of the Baltic Sea Region: Growth Patterns and Foreign Trade Now and in the Future

The article studies the economic growth patterns of the Baltic Sea Region countries, describes their gross domestic product trends, and predicts the future developments. As foreign trade is one characteristic of interrelationships between the countries, the geographical pattern of foreign trade is analyzed, especially emphasizing the linkages between the countries in the Baltic Sea Region. The article pays attention also to the perspectives in the 2025 time framework and ends with some comments regarding the conditions for future development.     

Migration in the Baltic Sea Region in the Context of Demographic Change

Due to increasing life expectancies and low birth rates, the population will shrink, and its average age will increase in most of the regions in the Baltic Sea area during the next decades. Especially in the Baltic states, population decline is intensified by emigration of people. There are plenty of factors stimulating emigration from the eastern part of the Baltic Sea Region to Western countries, especially wage disparities and differing opportunities for finding a job in knowledge-intensive sectors. However, it can be expected that in the course of economic convergence, wage gaps and structural disparities will shrink in the Baltic Sea area. Nevertheless, this will take a longer time, making it necessary for countries to think about policy options suitable for reducing emigration. Among these, reinforcing structural change and improving overall living conditions are at the top of the agenda.     

Transport and Logistics Developments in the Baltic Sea Region until 2025

The aim of this article is to chart likely futures of transport and logistics in the Baltic Sea Region in 2025. The research draws on a Delphi study data collection process, which included an international panel of experts. Several sector-related factors are identified that affect competitiveness of the region by 2025 from transport and logistics perspective: fuel and operational efficiencies, technology diffusion, labor productivity, low-cost country subcontracting, under-capacity in road and rail infrastructure, blue-collar labor scarcity, and sector regulation. Competitiveness oriented policy recommendations are presented accordingly.     

渤海通道推动商品贸易发展的积极作用

实现商品的高效运输是推动商贸繁荣的重要环节,渤海通道降低了商品流通成本,提高了流通效率,推动了地区商贸经济的发展。渤海通道的建立形成了新的南北交通大动脉,弱化了环渤海区域的行政壁垒,便利了区域商品的自由流通,推动了南北经贸的繁荣,加强了东北亚地区的经济交流与合作,推动了国际贸易发展。     

新型医疗健康产业集群模式——成都国际医学城探讨

在区域经济发展如火如荼的当今,各产业集群发挥了巨大效应,本文提出了一种新型的产业集群模式——医疗健康产业集群,并通过对成都国际医学城项目背景、创新点、优势及发展前景进行深入分析和探讨,提出这种新型模式可以为区域整体发展带来无可限量的经济与社会效益,意义重大。     

Liquefied Natural Gas in the Baltic Sea Region

This study analyzes the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal plans and their impact on gas supply in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Although the realized capacity of the planned terminals will be smaller than the planned one, these LNG terminals are strategic investments, as they will introduce competition that has a lowering impact on the price, and moreover, the terminals will improve the security of gas supply, though the BSR cannot build its gas supply on the LNG deliveries alone. In other words, the terminals will not replace Russia's deliveries but rather allow the countries in the eastern BSR to diversify a proportion of their gas supply.     

Performance impacts of interorganizational cooperation: a transaction cost perspective

This study builds on the transaction cost theory to examine the performance effects of interorganizational cooperation and develops an understanding of how different forms of cooperative relationships affect organizational performance within a major service sector, namely the healthcare industry. The authors study, in particular, two cooperative forms applied to hospitals: hospital-based health networks and health systems. An empirical investigation of 382 hospitals in Taiwan shows that interorganizational cooperation exerts positive effects on hospital performance. In addition, health systems have greater positive effects on hospital efficiency than health networks. Furthermore, this study finds that the positive impact of participation in health systems is especially significant for private hospitals, local community hospitals, and hospitals in highly competitive regions. The findings reveal that performance impacts of interorganizational cooperation are contingent on the cooperative arrangements in the healthcare industry.     

Healthier futures: primary care nurses’ food knowledge and patient advice

In Finland there are valid questions being asked about the sustainability of the current provision in state healthcare systems. Structurally, lower birth rates and greater longevity mean that populations age and present the challenge of chronic illness management in later life for a larger proportion of the population. Culturally, some 50 years after the introduction of a state healthcare system, ageing populations will have greater expectations of service quality than their predecessors. Paradoxically, they will also have a greater engagement with lifestyles which themselves will bring new challenges to long‐term health status. There is no single solution to the complex problem of service sustainability but undoubtedly health education provides some potential to limit future demands. Diet‐related illness and incapacity are specific health challenges for the coming decades but the problems can be substantially reduced by changing current behaviour. To make such changes possible, knowledge needs to be communicated effectively in terms of simplicity, accuracy and with appropriate timing. Health education can make a major contribution to service sustainability. This paper reports a study of primary care nurses (n = 50) in the Tampere area and examines their capacity to provide healthy eating advice. In this sample, nurses often demonstrated good levels of nutritional knowledge on which to base patient advice, but there was considerable variation. Arguably, focused in‐service training would provide updating on theory and practice for more consistent advice and better prospects for behavioural change.     

The Interconnections of Regional and Domestic Cluster Development Processes

SUMMARY

The regional clusters have an important position in the modern world. One of the most prominent clusters in the Nordic area (Scandinavia, Baltic region and Russia) has been formed in the wood and forest industries. The aim of this study is to investigate the dual impact of regional clusters on the development of local clustering and networking ties. In this respect the positive impact in terms of technology transfers, financial support and market access are analysed alongside potentially more detrimental aspects, such as replacing local value-adding processes with roundwood and paperwood exports and limiting the international marketing options of the acquired producers. The results indicate that regional clustering has several positive influences on the development of local/domestic wood and forest clusters in terms of technology transfer and foreign market access, but dominant intra-corporate networks can also lead to centralised operations that set a lower value on local supply chain relationships.     

EU Enlargement,Institutional Governance and Innovation Environment in the Baltic Countries

Abstract

This paper presents institutional framework to implement innovative and co-operative procedures of industrial reorganization and economic growth in the Baltic countries. By using the recent features of organization mode theories and institutional economics, we apply how institutional development helps the Baltic firms to survive in the integration of EU25 markets. We present this framework as a dynamic process in three stages. The first stage identifies the main foundations from the transition period: macroeconomic stabilization, privatization, and financial governance. The second stage considers how to build up the institutional structure of the governance in production. The third stage points out those topics that enhance innovation environment and benchmarks the Baltic countries to EU innovation capacity. These progressive stages in financial, production, and innovation systems of governance can be overlapped or happen in sequential order but the final purpose of these improvements is to enhance the managerial incentives for higher innovative activity in the EU-Baltic industrial integration. It is found that the Baltic innovation input capacity is competitive compared with the EU25 average but a gap in innovation output is still essential.     

中国百强连锁企业区域分布与区域扩张战略的实证分析

本文通过对百强连锁企业总部和店铺布局的考察,对中国连锁企业的跨区域扩张战略进行了初步研究。研究结果表明:中国连锁企业跨区域扩张正处于初级阶段,长三角、珠三角和环渤海地区是连锁企业及其店铺分布最密集的地区;连锁企业市场选择主要考虑城市市场环境、城市市场竞争和人力资源可获性、城市区位条件,以及城市市场的消费能力等因素;企业在跨区域扩张时主要采取由近及远、密集布局、逐步推进与重点进入、点面结合的店铺布局战略。     

我国健康体检的现状和问题:老龄社会发展的一点思考

人口老龄化的加速发展给我国医疗保障体系带来了极大挑战,全社会医疗费用负担日益加重,健康体检的重要性凸显。分析了我国健康体检的发展现状和问题,并基于两种不同假设方案实证模拟了实施健康体检对降低未来全社会老年医疗费用的绩效。健康体检对降低我国老年医疗费用具有较为显著的成效,健康体检的逐步普及可有效缓解将来的深度人口老龄化对我国医疗保障体系造成的巨大压力。年龄层次越高,健康体检对节省医疗费用支出的成效越显著。提出了促进我国健康体检科学发展的对策建议。     

宁波区域增长极的选择与培育

改革开放以来,宁波的区域经济发展主要采取非均衡经济发展战略,形成了以港口经济为核心、余慈地区和奉化鄞南组团为两翼的区域经济增长极,在推进区域经济的快速发展方面起了重要作用。"十一五"时期,宁波经济面临着区域竞争的严峻挑战,在区域经济发展战略上应该继续坚持非均衡发展战略,选择和培育新的"增长极"。     

中原经济区各地经济发展差异研究

区域经济发展差异是区域经济学研究的核心问题之一。本文以中原经济区核心地带为例,通过考察地区生产总值、产业结构、城镇化水平、涉外能力以及经济社会发展指数,综合比较分析表明2005年后中原经济区核心地带区域经济差异呈现整体缩小态势,但经济增长的拉动力主要靠基础设施和实物资本等有形资本投入,经济可持续发展能力和居民收入差距仍在持续。因此,中原经济区应统筹协调、借力发展,提升"虹吸"辐射能力;大力培育和发展战略新兴产业,加快区域产业整合与升级;推进新型城镇化,扩大对外水平,构建共同市场。     

经济全球化背景下国际物流的发展现状及趋势

本文认为,经济全球化促进了国际物流系统的形成和发展。物流企业向海外发展的物流战略可分为五种类型,即依附型的海外发展战略、设置海外基地战略、货运代理战略、国际多式联运战略和第三方物流战略。随着东亚经济的发展,货物运输量逐步扩大,1992年以后东亚.太平洋地域在六大地域中货物运输量一直保持最大。文章提出,国际物流未来发展趋势是国际多式联运,在以散货海运为主体的同时,集装箱应用将更加广泛;国际海运货物与国际空运货物由互补关系演变为竞争关系,并将随着国际多式联运的发展而进一步演化为一种联合与合作关系。     

我国吸引FDI战略及中西部地区改善投资环境的建议

改革开放以来进入中国的外商直接投资不断增加,特别是加入WTO后,外商直接投资持续增长,中国吸收外资连续16年位居发展中国家首位。然而无论从流量还是从存量上看,绝大部分比例的外资都聚集在我国东部地区,FDI扩大了东部与西部的发展差距。从战略角度分析这种状况对我国经济发展产生的影响,为目前我国协调区域经济发展提供政策选择和决策依据。     

区域产业文化与人力资源优化配置研究

区域经济发展依赖于区域产业的发展，区域产业竞争力则体现为区域资源整合力，尤其是区域人力资源的优化配置。区域产业文化不仅具有区域性、宽松性和产业群人才观三大特征，还具有促进区域人力资源优化配置的功能。区域产业文化建设需要政府、企业、科研机构等各种区域利益相关者在健全法规、扶持核心企业、提高企业积极性和发展中介组织等方面共同努力。     

公私医疗卫生支出与经济增长关系的实证分析

众所周知,医疗卫生支出不仅关系到一个国家社会福利政策的规划,还对经济增长具有不可忽略的促进作用。然而,现有文献对于医疗卫生支出与经济增长关系之间的研究结论却是众说纷纭。鉴于此,本文根据医疗卫生支出的支付主体,将其分为政府医疗卫生支出和居民医疗卫生支出,并通过建立双向固定效应模型对公私医疗卫生支出对经济增长的影响进行分析。结果显示：从全国平均水平来看,政府医疗卫生支出每增长100％,带动经济增长12．08％,居民医疗卫生支出每增长100％,带动经济增长15．85％;但与此同时,考虑到不同地区的经济发展非均衡化时,政府医疗卫生支出和居民医疗卫生支出带动经济增长的效应差异甚大,其中政府医疗卫生支出对经济增长呈现“倒U型”效应,而居民医疗卫生支出对经济增长呈现“阶梯型”效应。     

曹妃甸发展港口经济的SWOT分析及发展对策

港口是带动区域经济发展的核心战略资源,港口经济已经成为区域经济发展的增长极。开发建设曹妃甸深水港,是适应世界船舶运输大型化和港口深水化及环渤海地区重化工业改造、迁移和持续发展的需要,也是推动河北地区经济发展的中心。在运用SWOT分析方法的基础上,全面剖析曹妃甸港口的优势、劣势、机遇和挑战,并在此基础上提出通过发展港口经济推动整体区域发展要优化产业结构,奠定协调基础;构建交通体系,加速发展进程;健全管理体制,推动整合发展的对策建议。