The globalized economy depends on local and context-specific factors. This edited volume addresses local-global nexuses via case studies of global interactions in developed and developing areas, and of particular firms' approaches to these issues. The chapters build up a prospectus on how best to create globally capable localities.

ZOLTAN J. ACS School of Public Policy, George Mason University, USADAVIDE ANTONIOLI Department of Economics, Institutions and Territory (DEIT), University of Ferrara, ItalyTÜNDE CSERPES Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, HungaryPÉTER CSIZMADIA Institute of Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS), Budapest, Hungary LUTZ EIGENHÜLLER IAB Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, GermanySTEFAN FUCHS IAB Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, GermanyGEREMIA GIOS Department of Economics, University of Trento, ItalyILARIA GOIO Department of Economics, University of Trento, ItalyALESSANDRO GRETTER IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy MIKLÓS ILLÉSY Institute of Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS), Budapest, HungaryICHIRO IWASAKI Institute of Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, JapanWALDO KRUGELL School of Economics, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), South AfricaNICOLE LITZEL University of Regensburg and IAB Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, GermanyCSABA MAKÓ Institute of Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS), Budapest, HungaryMARIANNE MATTHEE School of Economics, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), South AfricaMASSIMILIANO MAZZANTI Department of Economics, Institutions and Territory (DEIT), University of Ferrara, ItalyJOACHIM MÖLLER University of Regensburg, Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg andIZA, GermanySANDRO MONTRESOR Department of Economics, University of Bologna, ItalyWIM NAUDÉ World Institute for Development Economics Research, United Nations University, Helsinki, FinlandCONNIE L. MCNEELY School of Public Policy, George Mason University, USAPIER CARLO PADOAN OECD and University of Rome, ItalyPAOLO PINI Department of Economics, Institutions and Territory (DEIT), University of Ferrara, ItalySILVIA SACCHETTI Stirling Management School, University of Stirling, UKJOSEPH SANY School of Public Policy, George Mason University, USAMARIO SCERRI Institute for Economic Research on Innovation (IERI), Faculty of Economics and Finance, Tshwane University of Technology, South AfricaMARIA LUIGIA SEGNANA Department of Economics, University of Trento, ItalyROGER SUGDEN Stirling Management School, University of Stirling, UKZOLTÁN SZÁNTÓ Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary MIKLÓS SZANYI Institute of World Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS), Budapest, HungaryDebrecen University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, HungaryCHIARA TOMASI Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and University of Urbino, ItalyISTVÁN JÁNOS TÓTH Institute of Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (IE HAS), Budapest, HungaryGIUSEPPE VITTUCCI MARZETTI Department of Economics, University of Trento, ItalyZHIKAI WANG School of Economics, Zhejiang University, China

Introduction; B.Dallago& C.Guglielmetti Context and Proximity in Competitiveness and Cohesion: Theoretical and Empirical Challenges; C.Guglielmetti PART I: TERRITORIES, DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS Globalization and Local Economic Growth in South Africa, 1994 to 2004; W.Naudé, W.Krugell& M.Matthee Local Systems of Innovation and Globalization in South Africa; M.Scerri Transition and Transplantation in Local Development Models: the Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta; Z.Wang Cluster Development in Hungary: Searching for a 'Critical Mass' of Business via Cluster Mapping; M.Szanyi , I.Iwasaki , P.Csizmadia , M.Illèsy& C.Makó Local Government Corruption in Hungary; Z.Szántó , I.János Tóth& T.Cserpes Cluster Identification, Firm Culture and Cooperation Activities in an European Metropolitan Region: the Case of Nuremberg; L.Eigenhüller, S.Fuchs, N.Litzel& J.Möller Beyond Commons - New Perspectives and Role for Common Properties; A.Gretter , I.Goio& G.Gios PART II: FIRMS, CONTEXT AND PROXIMITY Innovation Driven Growth: Analytical Issues and Policy Implications; P.Carlo Padoan Considering the Social Impact of for-profit Innovation at the Local Level: the Cases of Grameen Bank and Microsoft; Z.Acs, C.L.McNeely& J.Sany The Public Interest in Local Economic Development and Creativity: a Knowledge Governance Perspective; S.Sacchetti& R.Sugden Local and Global Sourcing: Quality Heterogeneity and Firms' Efficiency; G.Vittucci Marzetti, M.Luigia Segnana& C.Tomasi Outsourcing and Firm Productivity: Evidence for an Italian Local Production System; D.Antonioli , M.Mazzanti , S.Montresor& P.Pini Index