24961_01_foreword.pdf


Foreword

Finland Futures Research Centre and Finland Fu-
tures Academy organised an international confer-
ence in June 2006 under the title “Changing Fore-
sight Practices in Regional Development – Global
Pressures and Regional Possibilities” in collabora-
tion with Economic Geography, Pan-European In-
stitute and Pori Unit of the Turku School of Eco-
nomics. This Fennia Special Issue “Foresight and
Innovation in Regional Development” publishes a
selection of papers presented in the conference.

The conference brought together people from
the public sector and various research organisa-
tions and business corporations. The objective was
to share and discuss new ideas concerning region-
al development and globalisation, and generate
multidisciplinary and productive discussions from
different scientific and institutional backgrounds.
There were some 180 participants from 24 coun-
tries giving 43 presentations in twelve workshops
and seven poster presentations. The conference
was partitioned into seven thematic sessions as fol-
lows:

• Innovation systems in the creative economy
• Strategies for the globalising economy
• Practical applications (case studies)
• Theories of foresight and regional develop-

ment
• Foresight methods in regional development
• The future of regional and global governance
• The changing roles and impacts of compa-

nies, universities and public actors in regional
development

Some 15 to 20 years ago, in the wake of the rise
of information and knowledge society, one of the
mantras of the discourse was that this evolution
would dramatically reduce the significance of
space and place. An attitude emerged that geogra-
phy had turned archaic, that distance had become
irrelevant and place was insignificant in the con-
temporary society. These prophecies have, how-
ever, proved premature. In the EU policy, for ex-
ample, regions have their special agendas e.g., DG
Regions, Committee of Regions in EU Parliament,
special funding programs for regions in framework

programs and structural funds, etc. In Finland and
Europe as a whole, the increasing concentration of
people and economic activities in a relatively
small number of metropolitan areas has raised
concern among ordinary people as well as in poli-
ticians. In academic communities, multidiscipli-
nary research interest towards areas, regions and
territories is lively and growing.

Questions and problems concerning regions
cannot be solved by single organisation or by re-
gional governmental organisations. There is a quest
for collaboration and co-operation of regional
stakeholders within networks of regional develop-
ment and innovation. Universities and other edu-
cational institutions play an important role in this
work together with private companies, govern-
mental organisations and the civil society. Further-
more, multi-disciplinary approach is essential in
carrying out this challenging task.

The papers in this Special Issue demonstrate the
large variety of approaches connected to regional
development and foresight, as well as the com-
plexity and interconnectivity of the world we live
in. Examples from Russia, Ireland, Latin America
and Finland demonstrate how people far apart are
faced with similar questions and problems. The
answers and solutions naturally vary from region
to region, but in the globalised world, regions are
surprisingly similar. This notion makes us ask if we
indeed are imprisoned in a common iron cage of
global economy.

We wish to thank the editorial board of Fennia
for this opportunity to publish selected conference
papers in this classical and distinguished journal,
and hope that this special issue of Fennia serves as
a mind opening reading experience for those inter-
ested in regional development. Our warmest
thanks go also to the authors a well as to the expert
reviewers of the manuscripts.

In Turku, 19 January 2007

Juha Kaskinen and Riikka Saarimaa,
Guest Editors