Visiting academics to discuss regional development

The state of regional development will be discussed at a symposium hosted by Southern Cross University today, November 13.

The symposium, jointly funded by the Southern Cross Business School and the Research Centre for Tourism, Leisure and Work, will bring academics, policy makers and business professionals together at the Gold Coast campus.

Effective regional development is primarily dependent upon cooperation between government and industry. Government’s role is to provide effective policy, incentive and infrastructure framework while industry provides capital, innovation and market responsiveness.

However, there can be a disconnect between government and industry that often undermines regional development aspirations. The symposium is an initial step to overcome that disconnect.

Professor Ferruccio Bresolin, of Ca’Forscari University Venice, and Professor Veronica Vecchi, of Bocconi Business School Milan, will be guest speakers at the symposium.

Professor Bresolin is highly regarded for his work in Italy where he wrote the policy framework to foster business collaborations that promotes regional development and innovation in the Veneto region. The successful framework uses European Commission funding.

Professor Vecchi is the author of an academic implementation tool aimed at assisting academics working with government to ensure that policies developed to promote regional development are implemented effectively.

With such an impressive array of academics and policy-makers attending, organiser Associate Professor Yvonne Brunetto, of the Southern Cross Business School, is hopeful of encouraging outcomes.

“The aim of the symposium is to develop an evidence-based collaboration between government and key Southern Cross University, Bocconi and Ca’Foscari academics that will assist government to develop best practice regional development,” she said.

The symposium is one of the activities the two academics from Italy will participate in during their week-long visit.

Photo: Associate Professor Yvonne Brunetto.