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Cross-border
economic
development
15
Practical guide : building partnerships
Building a
strategic vision
for cross-border
economic
development
Drawing up a sound and effective partnership makes
it possible to develop a joint strategy to promote the
economic development of a cross-border territory.
The aim is to unite the players around a common
vision of the territory, based on shared objectives,
and to move from an individual project to a work
programme. However, before that is possible,
the different players must define a cross-border
dimension for their own economic development
strategies. A genuinely cross-border strategy can only
be developed once this is done.
As a general rule, a cross-border economic
development strategy should be in line with an
overall vision of spatial policy and planning for the
cross-border territory. It should also combine top-
down and bottom-up approaches. Regional partners,
who often initiate cross-border strategies, do not
necessarily have a comprehensive vision of the
potential. It is therefore important to draw on local
players’ in-depth knowledge of the field and take into
account their needs and wishes.