On September 19, a conference titled “Regional Development in Times of Great Uncertainty – A Future Defined by Compromises” was held in Split, aimed at encouraging discussion about the future and sustainability of regional development in Croatia and the EU. The conference was organized by the Croatian section of the European Regional Science Association (ERSA), the Faculty of Economics at the University of Split (EFST), and the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), in partnership with the European Commission’s Representation in Croatia and with the support of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.
Researchers engaged on the BORE project are members of the Croatian section of ERSA. Participants at the conference included Sanja Maleković and Mario Polić, who established the Croatian section of ERSA on behalf of IRMO and organized the international congress of the European Regional Science Association in Zagreb. Sanja Maleković moderated the Round Table on the topic: “Achieving Economic, Social, and Territorial Cohesion in Croatia,” with panelists including: Aida Liha Matejiček from the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO); Ivan Bota, Director of the Directorate for Regional Development, MRRFEU; Saša Drezgić from the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka, and Sabina Hodžić from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka. The panel topics focused on the following relevant questions for Croatian regional development: reducing regional inequalities in Croatia; the results of the implementation of national instruments for regional development; the role of EU funding in achieving balanced regional development and priorities and new concepts in regional development.
The theme of the conference and the Round table was fully aligned with one of the two goals of the BORE project: to find sustainable solutions for balanced socio-economic development that prevents uncontrolled growth and promotes environmentally sustainable and resilient social solutions, as well as with the first of the three work packages of the BORE project: Sustainable Environment, Local and Regional Economic and Social Development.
