Towards a Romanian Silicon Valley? - Local Development in Post-Socialist Europe

Contents

Introduction

Theoretical references

Path-dependency and institutional change

Socialism as an institutional substitute for liberal capitalist modernity

Post-socialist transition as a path-dependent process

Local-global interconnectedness as an object of investigation

Research methodology

Research objectives and methodological approach

Methodology of the empirical investigation

The Romanian transformation regime

Historical patterns of political and economic development

Social and cultural background

The »chaotic democracy« and its consequences

»In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king «: Resources and frameworks determining local action in Timisoara

Material resources: the social and economic profile of Timis County5

History and identity: The distinctiveness of the Banat

The legal and institutional frameworks for local action

Regional development policy under the impact of Europeanization

Analytical framework: Networks of opportunity, opportunities for networking

Local strategies and policy models

Strategies of local actors in Timisoara

The specificity of Timisoara within the Romanian context: the relevance of transnational cooperation

Transnational cooperation and institutional innovation

Transnational integration of the local economy

Urban governance in transnational contexts

Limitations and ambivalences of transnational cooperation

The explanatory value of the different theoretical approaches and the relevance of fieldwork

Acknowledgements

Bibliography