The Challenge of a Place-and Network-based Approach to Development in Italian Regions

This paper investigates the role of research networks inside local development processes to increase the competitiveness of underdeveloped territories. This paper, within the scope of local development theory, aims to describe the state of the art on the regional research systems resulting largely from programs co-financed between 2000 and 2013, with which the various regions are preparing to engage in programming for the period 2014-2020. The extent of consistency between the objectives of sectorial specialization set by policies previously or currently implemented and those in the planning phase (S3) is assessed, as is their connection with existing territorial specializations at a regional level.