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Key research themes
1. What factors determine the success and sustainability of cross-border cooperation projects and alliances in border regions?
This theme focuses on identifying the critical success factors, organizational conditions, and strategic components that enable effective, sustainable, and mutually beneficial cross-border cooperation (CBC) projects, particularly in European border regions. Understanding these factors is crucial for facilitating territorial cohesion, overcoming barrier effects, and harnessing the socio-economic potential of border cities and regions.
Key finding: This study identified five conditions critical to successful strategic alliances in CBC projects through empirical data from Polish-Czech border cities: clear alliance goal definition; stakeholder participation; involvement... Read more
Key finding: Analysis of 20 European CBC case studies revealed 14 critical success factors, with three emerging as most influential: (i) defining clear common objectives and master plans; (ii) fostering political transparency and... Read more
Key finding: Using game theory to model CBC alliances, the research demonstrated that decision-making interdependence among partners influences alliance outcomes and sustainability. The identification of 20 strategic games grouped into... Read more
Key finding: This conceptual framework links CBC effectiveness to diverse facilitating factors—economic, political leadership, cultural/identity, state formation, and geography—highlighting that the institutionalization and success of CBC... Read more
2. How does trust build and function spatially among actors in cross-border cooperation networks, and what challenges arise in contexts of geopolitical tension and institutional constraints?
This research area investigates the role of trust as a multidimensional construct influencing actor relations in cross-border cooperation (CBC) networks, focusing on spatial aspects such as territorial and relational dimensions. It considers rational-personal, social-cultural, general-personal, and historical-institutional forms of trust and their impact on the sustainability of CBC, especially in geopolitically sensitive or external EU border contexts.
Key finding: Study of Finnish-Russian ENI CBC highlighted four spatially grounded forms of trust that shape cooperation dynamics: rational-personal decisions, social-cultural understanding, general-personal interactions, and... Read more
Key finding: Analyzing CBC experiences during COVID-19 reveals a dichotomy between grassroots realities and euroregional elite perspectives. The lack of adequate coordination at the border undermined trust and resilience, evidencing that... Read more
Key finding: This editorial synthesizes emerging challenges (e.g., migration crises, geopolitical conflicts, COVID-19) that have disrupted the previously linear trend of border permeability. It identifies inadequacies in institutional... Read more
3. What governance mechanisms and policy frameworks best facilitate economic development and planning in cross-border metropolitan regions and infrastructure projects?
This theme addresses governance challenges and opportunities related to spatial planning and economic development in cross-border metropolitan regions and major infrastructure projects, emphasizing administrative coordination, fragmented legal jurisdictions, and integrated economic strategies. It explores how cross-border governance arrangements influence sustainable growth, with insights from case studies involving airport regions and multi-jurisdictional urban areas.
Key finding: The study found that fragmented governance frameworks across two Australian states and local governments reduce the airport's economic benefits by confining growth to one side of the border. It proposes a novel cross-border... Read more
Key finding: This legal-administrative analysis elucidates how cross-border cooperation between local authorities is impeded by dual administrative law regimes reflecting the principle of territoriality. It advocates the use of frame... Read more
Key finding: Enterprise-level survey data from Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, and Greece show that economic cooperation depends heavily on market size, specialization, and trade barriers. Firms prioritize improving economic conditions over... Read more