Transformative Dynamics of European Regional Development. Examining the Blue Banana and the Pentagon in Light of Emerging Epiphenomena and Future Perspectives on the Dorsal Axis

Author: Csaba Lakócai, Luigi Capoani, Cristoforo Imbesi

In: Scienze Regionali

DOI: 10.14650/118454

ISSN: 1720-3929

Abstract

The following regional science study investigates the ongoing relevance of the Blue Banana and Pentagon models as accurate representations of the European Economic Core Zone. The analysis aims to provide useful insights into the evolution of the European socio-economic landscape through an empirical examination that questions the applicability of these frameworks, given the progressive emergence of a polycentric model accompanied by an eastward shift of European productive activities. Together with an empirical analysis of two measures of regional competitiveness, the paper employs the case studies of the United Kingdom and Northern Italy to examine the changes in the European socio-political and economic landscapes. This study explores the implications of Brexit and its impact on the competitiveness of both the UK and continental Europe by integrating different metrics, including unemployment rates, productivity trends and the circulation of people. Furthermore, the case of Italy enables for a comparison of six socio-economic indicators between Northern-Italy and the regions of the Economic core, in order to reassess the compliance of the area with the criteria defined by the aforementioned models, after the 2008 financial and economic crisis. In light of this analysis, the need to create adaptive regional models in response to the current dynamism created in Europe is emphasised.