ABSTRACT
Regional development agencies (RDAs) are nowadays one of the key actors in managing regional development (Clark et al. 2010; Halkier et al. 1998). With increasing importance of innovation and the confirmed link between innovation and a well-functioning governance system (Fagerberg and Srholec 2008), it is almost impossible in the European context to imagine a successful region without an RDA with a substantial level of strategic competencies (Rončević 2007). The context in which they are performing their role is rapidly changing, being continuously reshaped by ambiguous, complex and strongly interdependent trends. This poses important challenges for policy-makers and scholars alike.
