KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING AND CREATIVITY AS DETERMINANTS OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF NUTS3 REGIONS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/jee2026.03.557Keywords:
cluster analysis, Czech Republic, economic development, knowledge economy, learning concept, NUTS3 regions, regional competitiveness.Abstract
Knowledge, learning, and creativity represent key assets that enable the generation of new and original ideas and solutions, as well as the adoption of innovative approaches to existing ones. Through the combination of knowledge, learning, and creativity, both tangible and intangible outputs are created, whose synergistic effects make a significant contribution to regional development and the economic prosperity of society as a whole. The aim of this article is to identify the concentration of knowledge, learning, and creativity in the NUTS3 regions of the Czech Republic during the period 2010–2024 and to examine their transformation over the course of the observed period. The empirical analysis is based on Ward’s hierarchical clustering method applied to a set of secondary data variables determining a “learning region.” The concept of the learning region is particularly relevant because it encompasses and combines not only learning processes but also knowledge, science and research activities, and creativity. It is not surprising that the examined attributes are concentrated in the Capital City of Prague and the South Moravian Region. In contrast, the profiling of the remaining clusters, together with the identification of latent trends in their concentration over the 15-year period, provides valuable insights for further research as well as practical implications in terms of supporting the reduction of potentially undesirable disparities in access to this fundamental component of endogenous economic growth.
JEL: I20, O30, R12.
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Received: June 11, 2026.
Reviewed: August 28, 2026.
Accepted: September 10, 2026.
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