Is There a Way for Old Industrial Districts to Become Attractive for Cultural Industry? The Case of Media Businesses in Halle (Saale), Germany
Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Christoph Hornych
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 15,
2008
Abstract
manufacturing have collapsed are trying to stimulate entrepreneurial activities of businesses in the cultural industry. The question is whether this strategy could be successful. This article examines the strategy of supporting the sector of Media Industry (´MI´) by policy makers in the region of Halle in East Germany, where a strong de-industrialization has taken place after the German reunification. Stimulated by the policy makers’ support measures, there actually was a remarkable development of MI. However, the number of MI firms and their employees did not further increase in recent years, after having reached a certain level. This illustrates the limits of political measures for turning a city’s path of industrial development voluntarily.
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In which Ways do Universities React to New Technologies? The Case of Photovoltaics
Peter Franz
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 12,
2008
Abstract
Universities can be conceived as actors in regional innovative systems with the functions to make available new knowledge for a region, to contribute to the human capital formation by teaching, and to the extension of the knowledge by research. These functions are in particular important concerning the adaptation of new technologies, e.g. photovoltaics. 89 German universities – amongst them 65 universities of applied sciences – meanwhile offer 171 full-time study courses with a degree oriented to photovoltaics. Each federal state has at least one university location offering such degrees. A certain spatial concentration of courses can be shown for Saxony, for the Ruhr Area and for the Rhine Main Region. Almost 90% of the degrees are offered by faculties of engineering. 43% of the universities with degrees in photovoltaics have successfully applied for research grants from the photovoltaics research programs of the federal government. These numbers show a spatial concentration of research in the South whereas the photovoltaics industry is concentrated in the East of Germany. This distribution indicates that the research opportunities tied to the photovoltaics industry are not in the Eastern part of Germany. Further research will have to pay more attention to the role of research institutes.
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Muster der Einwohnerschrumpfung in bundesdeutschen Städten zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts
Peter Franz
Schrumpfende Städte. Ein Phänomen zwischen Antike und Moderne (Institut für vergleichende Städtegeschichte, Reihe Städteforschung, Bd. 76),
2008
Abstract
The article analyzes the trends of shrinking and growing population in the German cities since 1990. After presenting diverse data on the level of the cities and the city regions, the small scale population change within cities is exemplified by the case of the city of Halle in Saxony-Anhalt. Several models and theories are checked if they can explain the phenomenon of shrinking cities. The article closes with a preliminary resume.
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Migration Potential of East German Regions
Alexander Kubis, Lutz Schneider
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 10,
2008
Abstract
The study analyses the attractiveness of East German regions as destination for inter-regional movements. We found remarkable migration flows towards East Germany even from the Western part. Urban centres particularly benefit from substantial migration inflows. But also some peripheral regions are able to attract considerable in-migration if they provide superior natural beauty and/or cultural institutions.
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Spatially Concentrated Industries as Innovation Driver? – Empirical Evidence from East Germany
Christoph Hornych, Michael Schwartz
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 9,
2008
Abstract
A positive relation between the spatial concentration of sectors and their capacity of innovation is frequently assumed in regional science as well as in regional development policy. Therefore, with the support of sectoral agglomeration, effects on the regional technological performance are expected. However, previous empirical work is inconsistent in supporting this interdependency.
This study aims to examine the effects of sectoral agglomeration on innovative activities in East-German regions. For this purpose, spatially concentrated industries are identified and included in the estimation of regional ‘knowledge-production-functions’. Contrary to expectations, the spatial concentration seems to inhibit the amount of patent-activities of the sector in the specific region. In contrast, positive effects are generated from research facilities. Moreover, we find evidence for intersectoral spillovers.
The results show that for innovative activities, urbanization effects have a higher relevance as localization effects. So far, spatially concentrated industries are not an innovation driver in East Germany.
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Wirtschaftspolitische Beratung im Zeichen der Transformation: das Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle
Ulrich Blum, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Zeitschrift für Politikberatung,
2008
Abstract
The paper analyzes the role of scientific policy advice in modern democratic societies in general and the role of the Halle Institute for Economic Research as one of the major German economic research institutes in particular. It shows that public funded institutions must be politically independent in order to turn theory and evidence based knowledge into political advice. Typical communication channels are contract research and public hearings as well as publications in economic policy journals, a frequent presence in other print media, radio, television and internet.
The Halle Institute for Economic Research focuses on macroeconomic analyses and forecasting. In addition it scrutinizes structural change and transformation processes from a regional, innovation system, competition and urban perspective.
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Suburban Municipalities on Trial – Analysing the Sustainability of Socioeconomic Structures at the Example of the Municipality Schkopau
Sabine Döhler, Alexander Kubis
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 7,
2008
Abstract
This article analyses socio-economic criteria of municipalities next to large cities. In a case study, we examine the municipality Schkopau in the south of Saxony-Anhalt. We ask if the fusion of smaller communes to this “new” municipality created in 2004 was rational in terms of sustainable socio-economic structures. Hence, we use the criteria of satellite towns developed by Boustedt.
We show that the criterion of political independence is assured by law. Meanwhile, the criteria independence of culture and urban development are not completely fulfilled. Due to the high density of industrial enterprises, the municipality has high tax revenue and therefore a strong financial basis. Also, the criterion of the minimum population figure is implemented.
Based on the specific results of the satellite town criteria, we could not find definite results for the municipality Schkopau, they are rather ambivalent. This result is partly caused by the strong interactions within the functional area of the provinces Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Due to the high dynamic of the structural change, we also point out the necessity to enhance the criteria for sustainable socio-economic structures of local and regional municipalities.
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Urban Renewal in Saxony: A Need for a more Problem-orientated Allocation of Subsidies!
Claus Michelsen
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 2,
2008
Abstract
Currently, the political discussion of urban renewal in East Germany focuses more and more on new strategies to solve the problems of urban decline and vacancies on the housing market. Since 2001, the demolition of housing has been subsidized with approximately one billion Euros. Critics of this strategy argue that the continuation of demolition leads to a fragmentation of cities and a loss of urban functions. Therefore, they suggest to focus more on revitalization of residential quarters and to allocate more subsidies to improve neighbourhoods as well as residential amenities to lower housing vacancies.
This article argues that on the one hand, the overall housing vacancy-rates cannot be lowered with the current instruments of urban revitalization. Even though, there is a chance to attract citizens from the periphery of cities. This means to redistribute housing vacancies instead of an overall reduction. On the other hand, this strategy needs to be clearly focused on selected cities in which a potential of immigration exists. However, empirical results from Saxony suggest a different picture: The allocation of subsidies for urban revitalization shows no identifiable pattern. Therefore, the author proposes to refocus the policy of urban redevelopment.
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New Limits of Municipal Economic Activity: Expansion versus Reduction?
Peter Haug
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 12,
2007
Abstract
On October 11th and 12th 2007, the department of urban economics of the Halle Institute for Economic Research organized a conference on local governments’ entrepreneurial activities. The main target of this second conference after the first one in 2005 was to analyze the spatial and functional boundaries of municipal economic activities. The participants came from various fields of science, local public administrations, municipal enterprises, associations and included politicians and others interested in the topic. The presentations covered a broad variety of subjects. On the first conference day, the speakers dealt with the partly controversial attitude of different disciplines such as law, economics, public business administration or sociology towards the local public economy. Other presenters focused on selected municipal services (public transportation, housing).
The second day was dedicated to the topics restrictions on municipal economic activities in Southern Europe, regional effects of municipal enterprises and employee protection in case of privatization. The conference was closed by a panel discussion with distinguished representatives from politics, science and management about the future role of municipal enterprises.
The presentations and discussions showed that the times are changing for the local public sector. In addition, the participants rejected an unrestricted extension of markets or business fields of municipal enterprises as well as the complete privatization of municipal services.
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Transport Costs and the Size of Cities: The Case of Russia
Albrecht Kauffmann
Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät, Universität Potsdam, Nr. 93,
No. 93,
2007
Abstract
Real costs of freight transportation have strong increased in Russia particularly during the period of price liberalization 1992–93. This paper investigates possible connections between rising transport costs and the evolution of the size structure of the system of cities in the Russian Federation and its federal subjects. Empirical findings suggest that under conditions of a closed system agglomeration processes according to the predictions of the model of Tabuchi et al. (2005) would have taken place especially in the periphere regions of the North and Far East.
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