STOCKHOLM THE BEST KNOWLEDGE-COMPETITIVE REGION OUTSIDE THE US
Stockholm is the world's most knowledge-competitive region outside the US, according to a new report "The World Knowledge Competitiveness Index 2002 - Benchmarking the Globe's High Performing Regions", compiled by the British economic consultancy and think-tank, Robert Huggins Associates.
It is the first time a global exercise has been conducted on the regional scale and is the result of a year-long research project to identify the world's most competitive regional economies.
The results follow an analysis of 17 measures of economic performance across 300 regions and the report identifies the world's 90 best-performing regional economies.
US regions dominate overwhelmingly in the report. They account for 49 of the top 90 most knowledge-competitive regions in the world. However, the Stockholm region is not only ranked first in Europe, but is also the highest placed non-US region at number 22 with a Knowledge Competitiveness Index Score of 119.4. In all, Europe has 32 regions in the top 90, but only four among the first 50. Apart from Stockholm, Switzerland is in 25th place (117.0), Uusimaa (Finland) in 36th (111.7) and London (UK) in 50th (102.0).
The world's most knowledge-competitive region is Minneapolis-St Paul, with a Knowledge Competitiveness Index score of 147.6, followed by San Francisco (including Silicon Valley) with 146.4, and Austin (145.1).
The reports gives an overall rating based on the results of several specific lists. The Stockholm region comes particularly high up with regard to employees in:
- IT- and computer manufacturing (9th)
- the high-tech service sector (7th)
- private sector investment in R&D (6th)
- the IT and telecommunications infrastructure (6th).
(Source: company press release March 21, 2002)
http://www.hugginsassociates.co.uk
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