Foreword and Acknowledgements

In a world marked by economic slowdown, ageing, migration, climate change and increasing inequality, policy makers are looking for new development paths. International debate since the crisis has called traditional economic models into question and the search is on for new approaches that can better reconcile economic growth with other social and environmental objectives. This crucial debate is focusing attention on the role that regions play in national economies, both as sources of underexploited potential and as the places where different policies can be most effectively integrated. Indeed, policy trade-offs are best addressed at the regional level, where it is often possible to identify the ways in which economic, social and environmental policies can be mutually reinforcing, rather than antagonistic, thereby optimising use of scarce public funds.