Iran's Regional Competitiveness Spatial Development Framework Case Study: 30 Provinces of Iran

After globalization and advances in information and communications, two conflicting schools of thought in connection with the role of the place and geography emerged: the first school of thought, led to the doctrine of geography and location death parallel to the cyber advances, with a view to the reducing importance of place and physical proximity due to the emergence of virtual interactions. But despite predictions, after 1980s, from the perspective of many such as Porter and new regionalists, globalization and technological changes caused more information and communication mechanism to promote the “place” position in organizing economic cycles. In their beliefs, doctrine of “death of geography” shortcomings would lead to the formation of another school of thought, under the title “the re - emergence of geography and the region”; based on the rationale that “face-to-face” interactions, in relation to virtual ones are more important and required in making trust necessary in economic relations. Moreover, human capital freedom from the place bonds after 1990 s, especially after the integrity of the national economies in the form of trade blocs, such as the European Union, raised the importance of location - based factors in economic growth more than before. Putting the concept of competitive advantage, with emphasis on decisive features of an activity unit, in completion of relative advantage paradigm’s shortcomings in the development literature, also attracted the attention of many economists and pundits in the area of business, to the issues related to the place. Accordingly, “regional competitiveness”, the concept which was only meaningful at the level of activity units for years as well as the countries, since mid-1990s entered in regional studies and spatial development planning dialogues. Unilateral and generalizing common approaches deficiencies in the extension of the answer to the questions in relation to the “nature of regional competitiveness” and either “the reason and drivers of this goal”, has led the research agenda ahead to developing “Iran’s integrated spatial development framework for regional competitiveness”. Hence aimed at containing full dimensions and various components affecting regional competitiveness, after identifying competitiveness drivers from different perspective by archival studies, finally with inductive method using structural equation modeling, the theoretical integrated competitiveness model would be befitted to the provincial areas of Iran. Fitted model indicates that the cognitive - cultural activities through a desire to be clustered are most effective drivers in achieving regional competitiveness in Iran. In regional competitiveness definition proposed in the following research, different from the definition raised from comprehensive study of Porter which is only focused on firms’ level and their businesses productivity, component of individuals (residents, entrepreneurs and tourists) alongside space components and firms ones would be consider. Based on the research findings sustainable competitiveness is the one aimed not only to increasing productivity but also the distribution of wealth and income; also contain the quality issues ( quality of life, quality of goods and services, quality of manpower, etc. ) and include sustainability and integrity in discussion. Consequently would be different with purely economic growth and performance concepts.