Alpine Economy : Transition from Subsistence to Global Competition

Résumé En

: The transition from subsistence to global division of labour and hence global competition is obvious and visible in the transformation of the economic structure, from agriculture to industry to a knowledge-based service economy. Obviously the Alpine realm is also subject to this process of segregation of well and less suited locations, probably with a wider than average span of location costs, and hence larger disparities and uneven (diverging) development. Given such conditions we want to explore the сonsequences for the А1pinе economy , and subsequently the Alps. Shall we regard the Alpine economy as something special, not subject to the general titles of development? Will there be a specifically Alpine eco- nomic policy to even out the gaps created by market conditions. Given the heterogeneity of the Alpine realm, it is safe to think of the Alpine ecconomy as a complementary system of uneven regions. The true challenge will therefore be to decide the dispute between free-market models with incoherent accidental decision processes along the line of the market logic, or some type of regional governance substituting chance by democratically approved perspectives. But what should be the criteria to base such decisions upon ?