Territorial competitiveness for the interests of publics

Competitiveness refers to a territory successfully satisfying its aims and objectives. In both research and practice, aims and objectives are usually specified in terms of compatibility with market success (e.g., performance in international trade) and/or the success of hierarchies (e.g., performance of large corporations). We suggest a different paradigm, focused on compatibility with the interests of publics, i.e., groups of people who share concerns about what is happening in an economy. Achieving this would require forums where people could freely inquire about the territory. They could then recognise their concerns about choice of the territory’s aims and objectives, and might identify when they share concerns, i.e., when they constitute a public. The forums would enable people to learn and experience, observe, discuss, share understanding and ideas, express their voice, and listen to others. Despite university governance and epistemic governance tending to crowd-out space for activities centred on publics, one way that researchers can help to create forums is by cooperating with citizens, community groups, policy-makers, and diaspora. Together, they might reframe the nature and purpose of territorial competitiveness, making it for the interests of publics.