Dynamics of entrepreneurship have attracted growing attention from scholars of political science, policy studies, public administration and planning, as well as more recently, from the realms of international relations and foreign policy analysis. Under the banner of political entrepreneurship, this volume considers and maps out conceptual approaches to the study of entrepreneurship drawn from these fields, discusses synergies, envisages new analytical tools and offers contemporary empirical case studies, illustrating the diverse political contexts in which entrepreneurship takes place in the polis. Drawing upon an international cast of senior academics and cutting edge young researchers, the volume takes a closer look at key aspects of political entrepreneurship, such as, defining political entrepreneurs, how it relates to change, decision-making and strategies, organizational arrangements, institutional rules, varying contexts and future research agendas. By highlighting the political aspects of entrepreneurship, the volume presents new exciting opportunities for understanding entrepreneurial activities at regional, national and international levels. The volume will be of particular relevance to scholars and students of political science, policy studies, public administration, planning, international relations and business studies as well as practitioners interested in the nexus and utility of entrepreneurship in the modern-day political world.

The chapter summaries how the concept and theoretical developments of policy/political entreprenurship have been enriched by the book contributors. It summarisies important aspects of policy entrepreneurship as to the "who" or the distinguishing characteristics, the "how" or the strategies, the "where" or the more or less  favourable contexts. The chapter concludes with identifying several future trajectories for policy/political entrepreneurship research.

In the next planning period of the EU Cohesion Policy (2014-2020) a stronger emphases has been placed both on the importance of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the operational background of financial crisis and austerity that may influence the implementation of Cohesion Policy objectives in the rest of this decade. In particular, in the new period, Cohesion Policy is an integral part of the Europe 2020 strategy with a strong focus on employment, innovation, sustainability, as well as reducing poverty and social exclusion to which a third of the EU Budget will be invested under Cohesion Policy to help address disparities between regions while at the same time contributing to the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals. It should also strengthen the Union’s capacities to increase the competitiveness of European regions in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and a means of sustaining the EU’s aspirations towards ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’. At the same time, implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy agenda implies that regions will have key choices to make on where, when and how they will prioritize and translate the EU’s aspirations according to their own local contexts and conditions.

Drawing upon a major ongoing study of stable (Sweden) and unstable (Ukraine) regions and taking account of the differing choices for regions in the EU and its surrounding neighborhood, this paper examines and maps out the operating paradigms and logics that shape the EU’s policy priorities towards the EU’s Cohesion Policy. In particular, the paper addresses several aspects. First, the authors present current findings of research work, aimed at revealing the prevailing ‘logics’ of EU Cohesion Policy. Second, the paper maps out how these logics affect the implementation choices at the regional development level in view of the different interpretations of ‘smartness’ within regions. Preliminary investigation results will be presented suggesting the existence of several key logics, such as, the ‘competition’ and ‘innovation’ logics, the ‘development’ logic, the logic of Europeanisation and institutional capacity building as a background and a context for specialization. Third, further analysis is presented relating these preliminary findings to the respective operational capacities of specific policy tools applied via the implementation of ‘smartness’ by regions and regional actors; and thereby introduce the concept of ‘smart implementation’ in order to help analysts understand the application of EU Cohesion Policy in practice. More precisely, the work will provide conceptual reflections on how the ‘logics’ of ‘smartness’ are turned into ‘smart implementation’ which will inform future reviews of the EU’s smart, sustainable and inclusive growth agendas in the future.  

This book offers an accessible, coherent and comprehensive analysis of the recent, contemporary and future challenges and possibilities facing Denmark in the European integration process. The book traces the formal as well as the informal ways of influence and adaptation in Denmark’s relations with the European Union. In doing so, it also offers a contribution to our understanding of Europe as a differentiated political arena. Topics covered include: ◦ Identifying the challenges and opportunities of Danish EU membership, via the policies pursued by Denmark in Europe. ◦ The ways in which Denmark adapts to the European integration process. ◦ Consequences of EU integration for citizen rights, democracy, policy coordination and implementation efficiency. Denmark and the European Union will be of interest to students and scholars of European Union and integration politics.

This presentation delivered evidence to the FP7 funded project of the European University Association (EUA) in relation to the innovative management structures being implemented in the region of Värmland in Sweden to enhance university-industrial cooperation

The chapter, published in a volume by a leading publisher in Belgium and based on proceedings of a major international conference held at Ghent University in 2010, presents the concepts of regional action and fusion as fruitful approaches to understanding how regional actors in Finland and Sweden 'get the best out of the EU'.