Measuring regional sustainable competitiveness: a multi-criteria approach

Competitiveness and sustainability are multidimensional concepts that are often measured using multiple indicators. In this paper, we are going to measure sustainable competiveness using a unique index. To do this, we work with the European Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI), which provides an overall but summarised view of territorial competitiveness for each of the NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics) regions of the 28 European Union Member States. Although the RCI is a complete competitiveness index, it presents some limitations, as it does not take into account any aspect of an environmental character. In order to assess the sustainability of the NUTS 2 regions, several environmental indicators have been added to the RCI (emission of CO2, waste generated per capita, environmental investment of the public and private sector, among others). The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution permits aggregating these indicators to a new unified measurement of the regional sustainable competitiveness, the European Regional Sustainability Competitiveness Index, henceforth RSCI.

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