This project uses the rich historic experience of repeated large-scale and unexpected economic (dis-)integrations at the Austrian-Czech
border to test the predictions of economic geography models of regional development. In particular we analyse the impact of
these dis-integration events on regional development: First, in both Austria and the Czech Republic so that we focus on two
countries which for a substantial part of the period analysed were characterised by rather different political regimes and
huge differences in incomes and costs, that additionally changed over time; second, for a large set of (dis-)integration episodes
that span a period of almost a century so that we compare different (dis-)integration events, that took place at different
points in time at which the considered countries differed substantially in income levels and institutions; third, with respect
to many potential adjustments (such as population and employment and unemployment growth as well as firm entry and exit) that
will inform future research on the mechanisms through which the regional economic effects of integration operate.
The objective of this research is to produce knowledge that will assist metropolitan regions in enhancing their spatial and
economic governance strategies in respect of industrial and manufacturing sectors, particularly in the context of unfolding
technological changes and transformation of their industrial bases. More It will address the knowledge demands of seven stakeholder
cities and their functional regions.
Das WIFO erstellt vierteljährlich einen Bericht zur Konjunktur in den österreichischen Bundesländern, der über die jeweils
rezente Entwicklung in wesentlichen Wirtschaftssektoren und auf dem regionalen Arbeitsmarkt Aufschluss gibt.