ABSTRACT
The powers that be within the world’s regions are coming to terms with one of the realities of the 21st century, namely, that they cannot expect to bring economic prosperity to their citizens by looking inward. Isolation is no longer an option. Nor is it enough to compete only with other regions in the same state (prefect, Länder, etc.) or country. National borders are becoming less important. We are in the age of global competition. It is as important for Manchester (my current home town, for example) to compare itself with Frankfort, Osaka, and Philadelphia, than with Birmingham and Leeds, and for the Research Triangle in North Carolina (my immediate past home) to compare itself with Taejon, Helsinki, and Cambridge, than with Charlotte, Greensboro, or Nashville. The businesses these regions seek to grow, attract and retain look at many locations across state and national borders, and the human knowledge resources so critical for success today are similarly globally footloose.
