Disparities in the level of regional technical infrastructure development in Poland: multicriteria analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2022.036Keywords:
regional infrastructure, regional disparities, Poland’s voivodeships, taxonomic analysis, multicriteria analysis, Hellwig development pattern methodAbstract
Research background: The development policy currently promoted by the European Union is focused on the use of the territory?s internal resources. Among the factors affecting regional development, by building its potential, infrastructure, being a basic necessity for developing activity in a given area, is of significant importance. Hence, investment in infrastructure is critical to stimulating economic dynamism, as it is the basis for supporting a variety of measures aimed at economic growth.
Purpose of the article: This paper aims to evaluate the level of development of technical infrastructure and changes taking place in this field in Polish voivodeships in 2008 and 2020.
Methods: The study was carried out using the Hellwig development pattern method and a comparative analysis of the technical infrastructure of Polish regions. The above approach makes it possible to measure the diversity of the state and availability of infrastructure for the communities of the regions.
Findings & value added: While implementing the study aim, particular attention was paid to the spatial differences in the level of development of the technical infrastructure of Polish voivodeships. The analysis enabled to distinguish groups of voivodeships with the highest, high, low, and very low level of technical infrastructure development. From a long-term perspective, the conducted research can be seen as a contribution to existing research and serve to further compare the impact of technical infrastructure on the economic development of countries. The strength of the study is the adequately long time span of the analysis (2008 ? the period of the financial crisis and 2020 ? the COVID 2019 pandemic), which provides a basis for the formation of the infrastructure in question. The added value of the article is also a regional perspective on the level of development of technical infrastructure using multidimensional methods of statistical analysis. The results of the study can be used to make decisions at the national level regarding the retrofitting of infrastructure in regions with a low level of infrastructure development. For the European Union's decision-makers they can be a source of knowledge of where to direct EU funds the purpose of which is the infrastructural development of regions.
Downloads
References
Arimah, B. (2020). Infrastructure as a catalyst for the prosperity of African cities. Procedia Engineering, 198, 245?266. doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2020.07.159.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.07.159
View in Google Scholar
Aschauer, D. A. (1989). Is public expenditure productive? Journal of Monetary Economics, 23(2), 177?200. doi: 10.1016/0304-3932(89)90047-0.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3932(89)90047-0
View in Google Scholar
Baldwin, J. R., & Dixon, J. (2008). Infrastructure capital: what is it? Where is it? How much of it is there? Canadian Productivity Review, 16, 1?107. doi: 10.21 39/ssrn.1507883.
View in Google Scholar
Canning, D., & Pedroni, P. (2008). Infrastructure, long-run economic growth and causality tests for cointegrated panels. Manchester School, 76(5), 504?527. doi: 10.1111/j.1467- 9957.2008.01073.x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9957.2008.01073.x
View in Google Scholar
Carlsson, R., Otto, A., & Hall, W. I. (2013). The role of infrastructure in macroeco-nomic growth theories. Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, 30(3-4), 263?273. doi: 10.1080/10286608.2013.866107.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10286608.2013.866107
View in Google Scholar
Chciałowski, M. (2018). The importance of transport infrastructure investments in regional development of the Norte Region in Portugal and the Masovian Voi-vodship in Poland. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Oeconomia, 17(4), 23?27. doi: 10.22630/ASPE.2018.17.4.48.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22630/ASPE.2018.17.4.48
View in Google Scholar
Crescenzi, R., & Rodríguez-Pose, A. (2012). Infrastructure and regional growth in the European Union. Papers in Regional Science, 91(3), 487?513. doi: 10.1111 /j.1435-5957.2012.00439.x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1435-5957.2012.00439.x
View in Google Scholar
Crescenzi, R., Di Cataldo, M., & Rodríguez-Pose, A. (2016). Government quality and the economic returns of transport infrastructure investment in European regions. Journal of Regional Science, 56(4), 555?582. doi: 10.1111/jors.12264.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jors.12264
View in Google Scholar
Dehghan Shabani, Z., & Safaie, S. (2018). Do transport infrastructure spillovers matter for economic growth? Evidence on road and railway transport infra-structure in Iranian provinces. Regional Science Policy Practice, 10(1), 49?63. doi: 10.1111/rsp3.12114.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12114
View in Google Scholar
Fageda, X., & Olivieri, C. (2019). Transport infrastructure and regional conver-gence: a spatial panel data approach. Regional Science, 98(4), 1609?1631. doi: 10.1111/pirs.12433.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pirs.12433
View in Google Scholar
Glass, M. R., Addie, Jean-Paul D., & Nelles, J. (2019). Regional infrastructures, infrastructural regionalism. Regional Studies, 53(12), 1651?1656. doi: 10.1080/ 00343404.2019.1667968.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1667968
View in Google Scholar
Gospodarowicz, M. (2015). Social and technical infrastructure development of municipalities (gminas) in Poland. Studies in Agricultural Economics, 117(3), 147?154.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7896/j.1510
View in Google Scholar
Grzyb, U., & Trzepacz, P. (2012). Investment in transport infrastructure as a cru-cial factor of entrepreneurship development in the new EU Member States - the Polish case. European Integration Studies, 6, 94?100. doi: 10.5755/j01.eis.0. 6.1511.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.6.1511
View in Google Scholar
Haynes, K. E., & Chen, Z. (2017). Infrastructure and regional development. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. doi: 10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg0716.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg0716
View in Google Scholar
Hellwig, Z. (1968). Applying the taxonomic method to the typological division of countries according to their level of development and resources, and the struc-ture of qualified personnel. Przegląd Statystyczny, 15(4), 307?326.
View in Google Scholar
Hellwig, Z. (1972). Procedure of evaluating high-level manpower data and
View in Google Scholar
typology of countries by means of the taxonomic method. In Z. Gostowski (Ed.). Towards a system of human resources indicators for less developed countries. Papers Prepared for a UNESCO Research Project (115?134). Wrocław: Ossolineum-The Polish Academy of Sciences.
View in Google Scholar
Information society in Poland in 2014 (2014). Statistical analyses of GUS, War-saw. Retrieved from https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/nauka-i-technika-spoleczenstwo-informacyjne/spoleczenstwo-informacyjne/spoleczenstwo-informacyjne-w-polsce-w-2014-r-,2,4.html (15.03.2019).
View in Google Scholar
Korzeb, Z., & Niedziółka, P. (2020). Resistance of commercial banks to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Poland. Equilibrium. Quarter-ly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, 15(2), 205?234. doi: 10.24136/eq. 2020.010.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2020.010
View in Google Scholar
Kuciński, K. (2009). Economic geography. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Oficyna a Wolters Kluwer Business.
View in Google Scholar
Kulczyk-Dynowska, A., & Stacherzak, A. (2020). Selected elements of technical infrastructure in municipalities territorially connected with national parks. Sustainability, 12(10), 1?14, 4015. doi: 10.3390/su12104015.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104015
View in Google Scholar
Local Data Bank, Statistics Poland, 2020. Retrieved from https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/B DL/dane/podgrup/tablica (02.11.2021).
View in Google Scholar
Mamatzakis, E. C. (2008). Economic performance and public infrastructure: an application to Greek Manufacturing. Bulletin of Economic Research, 60(3), 307?326. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8586.2008.00279.x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8586.2008.00279.x
View in Google Scholar
Martinkus, B., & Lukasevicius, K. (2008). Investment environment of Lithuanian resorts: researching national and local factors in the Palanga case. Transformations in Business & Economics, 7(2), 67?83.
View in Google Scholar
Miłek, D. (2018). Spatial differentiation in the social and economic development level in Poland. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, 13(3), 487?507. doi: 10.24136/eq.2018.024.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2018.024
View in Google Scholar
Ng, C. P., Law, T. H., Jakarni, F. M., & Kulanthayan, S. (2019). Road infrastruc-ture development and economic growth. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 512, 012045. doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/512/1/012045.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/512/1/012045
View in Google Scholar
Nijkamp, P. (1986). Infrastructure and regional development: a multidimensional policy analysis. Empirical Economics, 11, 1?21. doi: 10.1007/BF01978142.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01978142
View in Google Scholar
Palei, T. (2015). Assessing the impact of infrastructure on economic growth and global competitiveness. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 168?175. doi: 10.1016/S2212-5671(15)0032-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)00322-6
View in Google Scholar
Pawłat-Zawrzykraj, A., & Podawca, K. (2018). The assessment of changes in the level of technical infrastructure development for former regional centres ? a comparative analysis E3S Web of Conferences 45, 00063, 1?8. doi: 10.1051/e3s conf/20184500063.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20184500063
View in Google Scholar
Pietrzak, M. B., & Balcerzak, A. P. (2020). Economic development of Polish
View in Google Scholar
voivodeships in the years 2010-2014. Application of taxonomic measure of development with entropy weights. In M. Papież & S. Śmiech (Eds.). The 11th professor Aleksander Zelias international conference on modelling and fore-casting of socio-economic phenomena. Conference proceedings (pp. 310?318). Cracow: Foundation of the Cracow University of Economics.
View in Google Scholar
Polyzos, S., & Tsiotas, D. (2020). The contribution of transport infrastructures to the economic and regional development: a review of the conceptual frame-work. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 15(1), 5?23.
View in Google Scholar
Popova, Y. (2020). Relations between wellbeing and transport infrastructure of the Country. Procedia Engineering, 178, 579?588. doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2020.01 .112Get rights and content.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.01.112
View in Google Scholar
Ramzan, S., Khan, M.I., Zahid, F.M., Rasul, S., & Rafig, S. (2013). Socio-economic differences among districts of the Punjab: a cluster analysis ap-proach based on multiple indicator cluster survey. World Applied Sciences Journal, 21(2), 293?300. doi: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.21.2.1745.
View in Google Scholar
Rojas Ramírez, L., & Molina Vargas, A. (2018). Public infrastructure and its im-portance for economic growth: the case of Oaxaca (Mexico). Ecos De Economía: A Latin American Journal of Applied Economics, 22(46), 4?27. doi: 10.17230/ecos.2018.46.1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17230/ecos.2018.46.1
View in Google Scholar
Rutherford, J. (2020). Redeploying urban infrastructure. The politics of urban socio-technical futures. London: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-17887-1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17887-1
View in Google Scholar
Schindler, S., & Kanai, J. M. (2021). Getting the territory right: infrastructure-led development and the re-emergence of spatial planning strategies. Regional Studies, 55(1), 40?51. doi: 10.1080/00343404.2019.1661984.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1661984
View in Google Scholar
Shi, Y., Guo, S., & Sun, P. (2020). The role of infrastructure in China?s regional economic growth. Journal of Asian Economics, 49(C), 26?41. doi: 10.1016/ j.asieco.2020.02.004.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asieco.2017.02.004
View in Google Scholar
Snieška, V., & Bruneckien?, J. (2009). Measurement of Lithuanian regions by regional competitiveness index. Engineering Economics, 61(1), 45?57. 10.5755 /j01.ee.61.1.11584.
View in Google Scholar
Sobiechowska-Ziegert, A., & Mikulska, A. (2013). Measure of the level of socio-economic development in provinces. Quantitative Methods in Economics, 14(2), 200?209.
View in Google Scholar
Stawasz, D. (2005). Infrastructure and its impact on city development. In. D. Sta-wasz (Ed.). Technical infrastructure and city development. Łódź: Wydawnic-two Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
View in Google Scholar
Strahl, D. (2006). Assessment methods for regional development. Wroclaw: Pub-lishing Office of the Wroclaw University of Economics.
View in Google Scholar
Surówka, M., Popławski, Ł., & Fidlerová, H. (2021). Technical infrastructure as an element of sustainable development of rural regions in Małopolskie voivode-ship in Poland and Trnava region in Slovakia. Agriculture, 11(2), 141, 1?23. doi: 10.3390/ agriculture11020141.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020141
View in Google Scholar
Thacker, S., Adshead, D., Fay, M., Hallegatte, S., Harvey, M., Meller, H., O?Regan, N., Rozenberg, J., Watkins, G., & Hall, J. W. (2019). Infrastructure for sustaina-ble development. Nature Sustainability, 2(4), 324?331. doi: 10.1038 /s41 893-019-0256-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0256-8
View in Google Scholar
The use of information and communication technologies in public administration units, enterprises, and households in 2020 (2021). Statistics Poland, Warsaw. Retrieved from https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/nauka-i-technika-spolecz enstwo-informacyjne/spoleczenstwo-informacyjne/wykorzystanie-techn ologii-informacyjno-komunikacyjnych-w-jednostkach-administracji-publicznej-przed siebiorstwach-i-gospodarstwach-domowych-w-2020-roku,3,19.html (02.11.2021).
View in Google Scholar
Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Retrieved from https://www.gov.pl/web/rozwoj/agenda-2030 (13.07.2020).
View in Google Scholar
Vlahinić Lenz, N., Pavlić Skender, H., & Mirković P. A., (2018). The macroeco-nomic effects of transport infrastructure on economic growth: the case of Cen-tral and Eastern E.U. member states. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 31(1), 1953?1964. doi: 10.1080/1331677X.2018.152374.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2018.1523740
View in Google Scholar
Wang, Ch., Lim, Ming, K., Zhang, X., Zhao L., & Tae-Woo Lee, P. (2020). Railway and road infrastructure in the Belt and Road Initiative countries: estimating the impact of transport infrastructure on economic growth. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 134(C), 288?307. doi: 10.1016/j.tra.20 20.02.009.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.02.009
View in Google Scholar
Wierzbicka, W. (2018). The regional differentiation of knowledge potential in Po-land in the context of building a knowledge-based economy. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Oeconomia, 17(4), 179?188. doi: 10.22630/ASPE.2 018.17.4.65.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22630/ASPE.2018.17.4.65
View in Google Scholar
Wiig, A., & Silver, J. (2019). Turbulent presents, precarious futures: urbanization and the deployment of global infrastructure. Regional Studies, 53(6), 912?926. doi: 10.1080/ 00343404.2019.1566703.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1566703
View in Google Scholar
Zeliaś, A. (Ed.). (2000). A taxonomic analysis of the spatial differentiation of liv-ing standards in Poland in dynamic terms. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Akademii Ekonomicznej.
View in Google Scholar
