Regional policies to enhance competitiveness

This chapter first discusses regional disparities in economic development across some BRIICS countries and other emerging economies, before exploring the drivers of regional competitive advantages and the policy options and strategies for activating them. Economic development tends to be accompanied by uneven growth between regions, as early drivers of growth may be geographically concentrated and connections within a country may be underdeveloped. Widespread convergence in regional income is not seen in many emerging economies, but there is some evidence that convergence in productivity is underway. Regional disparities are widely considered to lock developing countries in relative income stagnation. In addition to nation-wide policies, regional policies to support overall national objectives of stronger, more equitable and greener economic growth are needed.