EU regional inequalities at a critical juncture: 'place-based' development strategies, investment promotion and the role of domestic dev policies

The past decade has seen a significant shift in how EU institutions tackle regional inequalities. Firstly, the EU's flagship Cohesion policy (and associated funds), arguably the most comprehensive policy aimed at mitigating regional inequalities, has recently pioneered a markedly more 'place-based' approach, whereby regions play the lead role in defining their own opportunities and strategies for growth. Secondly, in response to the economic impacts of COVID-19 on EU economies and the disparities between them, the EU has agreed a historic 750 bn fund to help regional economies recover in a way that renders them more dynamic, resilient and sustainable. My PhD seeks to join up these two pivotal developments: to look critically at the EU