The document discusses cross-border cooperation and entrepreneurship. It notes that some studies have looked at specific cross-border regions, but key questions remain around the social capital needed to ensure sustainable regional integration across national borders. The document aims to identify the components of social capital in cross-border cooperation, drawing on examples from the Upper Rhine Valley. It argues that social capital is important for successful long-term cross-border and regional integration within Europe.

1. The European Entrepreneurship in the
Globalising Economy –
Challenges and Opportunities
International Conference, 9-12 September
2008, Varna, Bulgaria
A few studies focus on trans-border regions
Cross-border cooperation and like the Upper Rhine Valley or Lake of
Constance region. However, the question
entrepreneurship: the role of which experts on regional development
social capital have not been able to answer relates to the
Prof Dr Raymond Saner & Prof social capital which is required to ensure
sustainability of regional integration across
Dr Lichia Yiu national borders. Michael Porter, an
CSEND, Geneva internationally acknowledged expert of
regional competitiveness and innovation,
Cross-border Cooperation can powerfully when describing factors leading to
help create socio-economic development. successful regional competitiveness states
This could be of particular significance in the following: "..while some knowledge is
view of the new EU borders and the need embedded in materials, components,
to create stability and good neighbourhood products and machinery, other knowledge
adjacent to EU. Successful and mutually is embedded in human capital, part of
beneficial cross-border could help extend which is tacit (1998, pp 447).
benefits due to EU enlargement to regions
newly neighbouring the enlarged EU. This paper’s aim is to make explicit what
remains tacit in regard to regional
The literature on cross-border cooperation competitiveness within the context of
highlights the importance of social factors transborder/regional cooperation and apply
which relate closely to key aspects of it to entrepreneuship as applicable to the
social capital. Over the last decade, social economic, political and social spheres. In
capital has become a key concept in specific, this paper will identify the
economic and social development component parts that constitute social
reflection, but less so regarding its actual capital in transborder cooperation drawing
practices and application. Nevertheless, on lessons learnt from the Upper Rhine
there is widespread consensus that the Valley and demonstrate the importance of
traditional composition of resources such Social Capital for successful (sustainable)
as physical, financial and cultural capital transborder/ regional integration within the
has to be broadened to include social European region and to support the process
capital. of European cross-border integration.
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