This title was first published in 2000. Since New Labour were elected in 1997, there have been substantial changes made to local and regional economic development policy in the UK. This volume offers an up-to-date overview, setting the new policies within a wider historic context and suggesting future developments. It examines four of these new policies in depth - Regional Development Agencies, New Deal local partnerships, Local Learning and Skills Councils, and the Small Business Service and Business link. In doing so, it offers a critical appraisal of how effective these changes have been in tackling issues such as developing human resources, skills and opportunities, developing land infrastructure and sites, capital formation and development, encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship and technological change and enhancing a supportive institutional context.

"Social Simulation for a Digital Society" provides a cross-section of state-of-the-art research in social simulation and computational social science. With the availability of big data and faster computing power, the social sciences are undergoing a tremendous transformation. Research in computational social sciences has received considerable attention in the last few years, with advances in a wide range of methodologies and applications. Areas of application of computational methods range from the study of opinion and information dynamics in social networks, the formal modeling of resource use, the study of social conflict and cooperation to the development of cognitive models for social simulation and many more. This volume is based on the Social Simulation Conference of 2017 in Dublin and includes applications from across the social sciences, providing the reader with a demonstration of the highly versatile research in social simulation, with a particular focus on public policy relevance in a digital society. Chapters in the book include contributions to the methodology of simulation-based research, theoretical and philosophical considerations, as well as applied work. This book will appeal to students and researchers in the field.

"Social Simulation for a Digital Society" provides a cross-section of state-of-the-art research in social simulation and computational social science. With the availability of big data and faster computing power, the social sciences are undergoing a tremendous transformation. Research in computational social sciences has received considerable attention in the last few years, with advances in a wide range of methodologies and applications. Areas of application of computational methods range from the study of opinion and information dynamics in social networks, the formal modeling of resource use, the study of social conflict and cooperation to the development of cognitive models for social simulation and many more. This volume is based on the Social Simulation Conference of 2017 in Dublin and includes applications from across the social sciences, providing the reader with a demonstration of the highly versatile research in social simulation, with a particular focus on public policy relevance in a digital society. Chapters in the book include contributions to the methodology of simulation-based research, theoretical and philosophical considerations, as well as applied work. This book will appeal to students and researchers in the field.