Article: Diverse regional sustainability strategies: template for the future or squandered resources? Journal: International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management (IJATM) 2012 Vol.12 No.2 pp.153 - 171 Abstract: To date, regional sustainability has been given attention because it is often the case that key actors and stakeholders can be coordinated at this level. However, scant attention has been given to the question of whether and to what extent regionally-defined solutions for sustainability could and should be different to each other. Taking the example of the automotive industry this paper explores both theoretically and empirically the extent of diversity at a regional level in the UK where three regions (the North East, the West Midlands, and Wales) have adopted quite distinct trajectories and emphases (electric cars, low carbon cars and hydrogen cars, respectively) around novel mobility infrastructures and their attendant industrial bases. We use the transitions framework to interrogate the degree to which diversity is an inevitable outcome from the quest for sustainability at the local and regional levels considered against a backdrop of turbulent change as regional development agencies are abolished in favour of local enterprise partnerships. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Diverse regional sustainability strategies: template for the future or squandered resources?

Authors: Gavin Harper; Peter Wells

Addresses: The ESRC Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society, Cardiff University, 55 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK. ' Centre for Automotive Industry Research, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Aberconway Building, Colum Drive, CF10 3EU, UK

Abstract: To date, regional sustainability has been given attention because it is often the case that key actors and stakeholders can be coordinated at this level. However, scant attention has been given to the question of whether and to what extent regionally-defined solutions for sustainability could and should be different to each other. Taking the example of the automotive industry this paper explores both theoretically and empirically the extent of diversity at a regional level in the UK where three regions (the North East, the West Midlands, and Wales) have adopted quite distinct trajectories and emphases (electric cars, low carbon cars and hydrogen cars, respectively) around novel mobility infrastructures and their attendant industrial bases. We use the transitions framework to interrogate the degree to which diversity is an inevitable outcome from the quest for sustainability at the local and regional levels considered against a backdrop of turbulent change as regional development agencies are abolished in favour of local enterprise partnerships.

Keywords: regional sustainability initiatives; ultra-low emission vehicles; ULEVs; recharging infrastructure; inter-regional competition; diversity; automobile industry; sustainable development; automotive manufacturing; UK; United Kingdom; electric vehicles; low carbon vehicles; hydrogen vehicles; regional development agencies; local enterprise partnerships.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2012.046860

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.12 No.2, pp.153 - 171

Published online: 20 Aug 2014 *

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Title: Diverse regional sustainability strategies: template for the future or squandered resources?

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