The case profiles the economic development of the Gothenburg region in Western Sweden, and the efforts of the regional economic development agency. During this period the region's traditionally strong automotive cluster started to transform towards e-mobility technologies. The case discusses the role of Business Region Göteborg (BRG), the regional economic development agency, in this process. The case includes exhibits with some key facts about the regional economy, the institutions engaged in economic development in the region, and the structure of BRG.

The case profiles the development of cluster-based economic development activities in Catalonia, one of Spain's most prosperous regions, over the last thirty years. It describes the evolution of these activities between 1990 and 2022 and puts these changes into the context of the broader evolution of Catalonia's economy. The case is targeted at students that want to understand the nature of cluster-based economic policies, either from the perspective of policy makers or of business leaders faced with such efforts. It is relevant for a broader set of location-based sectoral industrial policies, a tool that has recently gained significant new traction. These policies aim to enhance the competitiveness of specific sectors in distinct locations and are implemented through public-private collaborations.

The case describes India's economic development trajectory, with a specific focus on the last few years under the Modi administration. It provides insights into the current economic profile and competitiveness of the country. The case enables students to identify the significant economic opportunities India has as well as the key barriers for growth it will have to remove.

Traces the economic development of New York City from its founding in the 17th century through 2012. Focuses on the decisions made by New York City officials, past and present, highlighting the challenges of economic development at the city level. Enables deep examination of the interdependence and interrelation of economic policies at the city, state and federal level, and explores the role of economic and cluster performance. Detailed historical economic and social data allows for an evaluation of policy results. The case finishes highlighting the main economic challenges the city was facing in 2012.

The case discusses the origins and development of the European Integration process from the post-war period up to 2007, focusing particularly on the efforts of the Lisbon-agenda under way since 2000 to enhance Europe's competitiveness. It discusses the different policy areas that have been approached at the European level over time, and provides background on the architecture of European institutions. The case enables students to understand how European integration has affected competitiveness across the continent. It provides a platform to discuss the impact of collaboration across countries in large geographies on competitiveness, and the lessons that the European integration experience might hold for other world regions.

The case discusses the economic development of Estonia, covering specifically the period from regaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 until 2015. It tracks the process from the initial transition towards a market economy to becoming an EU member country, including the 2007 crisis and the government's response to it. The overall performance of the economy, the profile of its key clusters, and the quality of its business environment in 2015 are discussed. The case provides the background for an analysis of policy reforms in a transition economy, the role of legacy and geographical neighborhood for economic development, the implications of EU membership for an EU member country, and the relationship between microeconomic reforms and macroeconomic crisis.

The case tracks Vietnam's economic policy choices and performance from the end of the Vietnam war to the Doi Moi economic reforms and the economic transformation that followed. Throughout this period, the country had become a darling of the international aid community. As the country was preparing for the 2011 Party Congress, however, signs of growing economic frictions were becoming increasingly visible. The case closes by setting the scene for the challenges the new leadership was going to face.

The Basque country, with a population of 2.1 million and covering 7,233 square kilometers, is an autonomous region located in the north of Spain, physically separated from it by the Pyrenees mountains. Presents the history of the region--highly prosperous at the turn of the 20th century, but nearing bankruptcy by the 1950s. By 2001, the Basque GDP per capita had risen to a level well ahead of Spain and most European countries. At the same time that the region was enjoying the spoils of admirably executed cluster initiatives, it was being threatened by the destabilizing violence of the Basque separatist extreme, a slowing global economy, and an always-precarious balance of power between the Basque's own government and the government of Spain.

Looking through the lenses of both macro and micro economic policy, this case examines how Singapore has achieved such stellar success throughout its history, from independence through 2008. The case discusses the different policy choices the Singaporean government has made as well as how the government's structure has aided development.

Describes the economic development of Iceland since 1945, focusing in particular on the years since 2000, when Iceland experienced strong growth and Icelandic companies aggressively internationalized.

Describes the economic development of Indonesia from independence after World War II to 2006 and the post-Suharto period. The coverage of the post-Suharto period provides evidence of how political and economic conditions are intertwined after a change in the political regime. Profiles the business environment in 2006, including a documentation of past and present policies that shaped the current situation. A particular focus is Indonesia's stance towards attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). The country has a checkered history of oscillating between seeking and fighting foreign investors. Provides a perspective on the relative importance of FDI policies, general economic policies and business environment conditions, and the nature of competition from other locations on FDI flows.

Describes the economic development of Latvia, a small eastern European country on the shores of the Baltic Sea, from regaining independence in 1991 to European Union (EU) accession in 2004 and is set on May 1st, 2004, the day Latvia became an EU member. Latvia had achieved strong growth since regaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Describes Latvia's economic development over this period, discussing the economic policy efforts that have taken place and includes general information on the country, its history and politics, and the business environment that companies faced in 2004. A special focus is the influence that the EU accession process has on the Latvian economy and on economic policy choices in the country. Challenges students to discuss how the environment changes as EU membership is achieved, and which new priorities the country might need to define for its economic policy.

As part of the privatization in Eastern Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dow Chemical made a major investment in the Halle-Leipzig region, one of the largest chemical industry sites in Europe. The executive in charge of Dow's operations in the region, Bart Groot, increasingly felt that the long-term success of Dow's investment depended on a more dynamic development of the entire regional economy. On his own initiative, in 1997, Groot launched a private sector-driven effort to enhance the economic development in central Germany, the region located around Halle-Leipzig. Bundling together 50 other firms and four cities, he founded a regional marketing effort to brand or market the area, but then shifted focus to building clusters. Examines the motivations of companies and company executives to get involved in regional competitiveness efforts and provides a platform to discuss the factors that drive the success of cluster-building efforts through cooperation across firms in a disadvantaged area.