Benchmark Study 1

IPP BENCHMARK REPORT
increase of population of around 2%. However the development of the employment rate of population
between 20-64 years remained positive in the IPP regions over the period 2000-2008.
With regard to immigration Latvia and Valencia had a share of population aged 15-64 who was born
outside the EU of 11,17% and even 14,64%. Whereas this share lies in Saxony-Anhalt at 1,17% and in
Eszak-Alföld at 0,53%.
With regard to an overall analysis of demographic trends it is important to take into account future
trends of population change and its impact on the available workforce. In this context the available date
of the Cohesion Report is providing not the full picture. In future an analysis of trend-scenarios will be
important. A shrinking population combined with a low immigration rate and its potential impact on the
employment rate in the future will have a strong impact on the future economic capability of a region.
Therefore efforts are needed to maintain a high employment rate by reducing unemployment rates for
young people and the long-term jobless as well as other measures are needed providing scope for
further co-operation between the IPP regions.
It has however to be stated that – due to the current economic crisis – the picture in many regions in
Europe have changed dramatically.
Inter-connectivity of IPP regions measured in the level of broadband connectivity
Households with broadband connection, 2009, in % of all households
Households with broadband
NUTS CODE NUTS NAME
connection, 2009
DEE Sachsen-Anhalt 56,8
ES52 Comunidad Valenciana 46,9
LV Latvija 50,2
HU32 Észak-Alföld 43,0
NL32 Noord-Holland 83,9 Max in EU
DEA Nordrhein-Westfalen 72,4 Max in D
ES30 Comunidad de Madrid 62,6 Max in E
HU10 Közép-Magyarország 59,6 Max in H
Source: Eurostat
Key findings:
One element for assessing the possibility for internationalization is the ability to communicate with
modern technologies. Therefore it makes sense to take the level of broadband connections for
households into account.
The figures for the IPP regions show that all of them have a rather low rate compared to their national
champions and that there is no large difference between IPP regions from the former EU 15 Member
States or the new Member States (EU 12).
Stronger focus on internationalization would therefore also imply a stronger development of broadband
connection.
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