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Aspatial Peripherality, Innovation And The Rural Economy (AsPIRE)

Project Objective


The AsPIRE project sought to improve our understanding of differential performance in peripheral locations through examining a range of intrinsically aspatial dimensions of the local business environment that interact with the effects of relative location - information and society technology, business linkages and networks, social capital, governance and tourism.

The project reviewed existing peripherality indicators and, based on 12 regional case-studies, sought to operationalise the concept of "aspatial peripherality", provided a methodology for measuring/mapping it, and, generated best practice and policy evaluation guidelines.

The overarching objectives of this project were to establish the concept of AsP, to provide a robust methodology for measuring it/mapping it through regional development indicators, and to generate best practice/policy evaluation guidelines.  These broad objectives have been achieved by the following specific objectives:

  • an analysis of existing peripherality indicators and their theoretical basis
  • completion of thematic studies to identify a series of hypotheses relating to the nature of aspatial peripherality
  • development of operational methodologies to test the above hypotheses in the context of representative case-study areas
  • an assessment of the impacts of current and past policy approaches to AsP
  • the development of a new tool to measure AsP (the AsPIRE assessment tool)

Details of the Project


Project Number:  N/A

Funders and Partners


Research Funders:

Aspire was funded by the European Union Fifth Framework Programme that was designed to help solve problems and respond to major socio-economic challenges the EU was facing. Key Action no 1.1.1.-5 Sustainable Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Reference number QLK5-2000-00783

Research Partners:

The project was undertaken in co-operation with: TEAGASC, Ireland; National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland; Unit for Rural Development and Evaluation of Public Policies (UDERVAL), University of Valencia, Spain; Department of Economics, University of Patras, Greece; Institute of Spatial Planning, University of Dortmund, Germany (IRPUD); Seinajoki Institute for Rural Research and Training, University of Helsinki, Finland