Most regions have ambitions to grow. Some municipalities are attractive to live in, while others are attractive for new companies. In order to improve their competitive position, regions are beginning to think more and more strategically about their growth and development.

Companies will naturally choose to establish themselves in those regions where they are most likely to succeed, as a part of an industry cluster or in locations with a good supply of the expertise and manpower they need. The result of this is that business development and population development are becoming more and more intertwined. Centralization is an important factor in the growth of cities and other population centers.

A region’s industry structure and the career opportunities it provides are an important factor for the residential attractiveness of its towns and villages, and vice versa: Residential attractiveness has an influence on the opportunities for a region’s economic development; for the establishment of new companies, innovation, growth and profitability. More and more municipalities and regions thinks it makes sense to look at their own challenges and opportunities in the context of competing regions and neighbouring municipalities.

Menon’s national accounts on municipal level and its detailed, proprietary company database are important tools in our work with regional development.

Within regional and municipal development, Menon has conducted projects related to:

• Business development and strategies for future regional growth and development
• Processes and creative workshops
• Analyses of individual region’s opportunities and challenges with regards to residential attractiveness, employment, business and industry and knowledge environments
• Regional development models that look at the interaction between different regions and the unique features of individual municipalities
• Drivers for growth and mapping of untapped potential for value creation