Author Description

Commences with original contributions from a panel of experts regarding the economic, structural and managerial issues of flexible specialization, especially in relation to regional development. Documents experimental experiences in flexible specialization in successful manufacturing economies including Japan, West Germany, Switzerland and Norway. The third section considers a theoretical and empirical examination of service industries using illustrations from the US, UK and The Netherlands. Finally, it explores the opportunities and pitfalls of Eastern Europe's antiquated industrial economies.