This article charts the changing context of regional economic development and the advancement of both policy thinking and analysis on this issue. The shift away from ‘traditional’ regional policies, designed to bring about regional convergence, towards new approaches, designed to exploit the economic development potential of regions, is the focus of the article. Specific attention is paid to the emergence of regional development strategies in the process, where ‘regions’ may be defined functionally rather than administratively. We outline the elements of such strategies—including redefining objectives, new types of interventions, involvement of new actors, and the broadening and integration of regional interventions—which distinguish them from traditional policy and which will determine the degree of success achieved. In conclusion, the paper raises two points of interest, namely the need for more inclusive regional development processes and better implementation of these demanding strategies.

中文翻译：

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欧洲区域政策的变化性质

本文勾勒出了区域经济发展变化的大背景，以及对该问题的政策思考和分析的进展。本文的重点是从旨在实现区域融合的“传统”区域政策转向旨在利用区域经济发展潜力的新方法。在此过程中，应特别注意区域发展战略的出现，在该战略中，“区域”可以在功能上而不是在管理上进行定义。我们概述了此类战略的要素，包括重新定义目标，采取新型干预措施，新参与者参与以及区域干预措施的扩大和整合，这些都将它们与传统政策区分开来，并将决定取得成功的程度。综上所述，