Building regional visionary capability. Futures research in resource-based regional development

In the present study, regional visionary capability is seen as a crucial factor in building regional competitive advantage under the present techno-economic paradigm. Regions are considered as strongly path-dependent entities needing to create new, even radical, paths to stay competitive in a rapidly changing world. The Regional Development Platform Method (RDPM) is presented as an innovative tool in developing regional innovation systems. The RDPM consists of eight phases and the focus of the present article is on the fourth phase of the RDPM: the search for new regional development paths and building regional visionary capability. The RDPM has been tested in the Lahti (Finland) regional innovation system revealing the need to develop the fourth phase further.