| Abstract: |
Presented study was a part of ESPON TERCO project (European Territorial
Cooperation as a Factor of Growth, Jobs and Quality of Life) and was aimed at
verifying the hypothesis that territorial cooperation underpins socio-economic
development. Based on the literature review a conceptual model of successful
territorial cooperation was proposed, where this kind of cooperation was
defined as bringing the highest joint socio-economic development to the
cooperating territorial units. That theoretical model was verified empirically
by structural equation modeling, based on data collected via electronic
questionnaires (CAWIs) in 9 cross-border case studies. The results of the SEM
analysis positively verified the main hypothesis and provided information
about the role of particular ‘determinants and factors’ in achieving
successful TC measured by several ‘impact’ indicators. It was also possible to
access the extent to which particular ‘determinants and factors’ contributed
to the successful TC as a whole and its particular ‘impacts’. The probability
of success of territorial cooperation was the highest when TC projects were
initiated by NGOs, local or regional government, funding came from own or EU
sources, cooperation was based on simple forms of collaboration, and related
to culture, economy, tourism, natural environment or physical infrastructure. |