European Regional Science Association
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European Regional Science Association
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The abstract for paper number 106:
Raigo Ernits, University of Tartu
Institute of Economics, Tartu, Estonia
The Development of Industrial Company-Towns during the Post-Socialist Transition Period in Estonia
In the paper will be observed the possibilities to achieve the sustainable development in the regions with very specific conditions – in the post-socialist single-company industrial settlements (called also “company-towns” or “mono-functional” settlements) in Eastern Europe, particularly in Estonia. The paper will be based on the empirical research done in spring 1998 and in May-June 2000 in 6 Estonian single-company settlements by the author of this paper and his colleagues.
These areas of study are the small towns and urban-style villages (500-5000 inhabitants) where at the Soviet time was only single branch of economy or even only the one single enterprise. During the post-socialist transition period of sharp changes of production relations have several from those settlements gone through a significant crisis related to the bankruptcy of the dominating enterprises. However, many of the single-company settlements had the success in the transformation of production relations and have been able to achieve the sustainable development. In the study were observed both failure and successful settlements.
In the empirical research was collected information about the structure of entrepreneurship in these settlements, as well as about the fortune and position of dominating (formerly dominated) enterprise and other enterprises during the last 10-15 years. The nature of contacts and the geographical location of partners were also in the focus.
There will be in the first part of the paper defined the rate of achieved sustainability of observed settlements at the time of study. By sustainability in the paper will be meant the capability to economise in the market conditions without the external assistance. In the next parts there will be in focus the decisions with crucial importance for the fortune of settlements and the circumstances in what they are made. The central question in the paper will be what role does play the social environment in the occurrence of decisions favourable for development of settlement.
Unfortunately full paper has not been submitted.