The Regional Development & Policy Research Unit (RDPRU) was established in 1995, on the initiative of Lois Labrianidis, at the University of Macedonia with the main aim of conducting research on economic geography and regional development and policies, as well as organising stakeholder workshops. Since 2021 it operates as an independent research unit.
RDPRU seeks to formulate concrete proposals to the institutions and authorities for the formulation of regional development policies. RDPRU collaborates with specialist scientists, research units, consulting companies, etc.
RDPRU’s research activity focuses mainly on issues of economic geography, regional development and regional policy, with particular interest in international comparative analysis. More specifically, RDPRU focuses on the following research areas:
- Economic development
- Brain drain
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- Location of Multinational Enterprises / Internationalization of Greek Enterprises
- Economic Migration
- New Rural Economic Geography
- Diffused Industrialisation / Subcontracting / Outsourcing
- Development Issues of Thessaloniki
- Greece-Balkans-SE Europe
- Greece (regional development, industrial location, industrial policy, etc.)
- Surveillance Zone
- Regional Universities
- Geography Studies
RDPRU until September 2021 was housed at the University of Macedonia, in the premises of the Department of Economics.
