INTEGRATIVE MODEL FOR EVALUATION OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS OF REGIONS AND ITS APPLICATION ON AN EXAMPLE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new model for the evaluation of development potentials of regions, including methodology, application and conceptualization of the obtained information. The main components of this model are the business environment quality, innovation potential of companies and use of human resources, interpreted using relevant factors or indicators. The model has been applied to the evaluation of Czech regions - 205 administrative districts (microregional level) and 14 NUTS 3 regions (mesoregional level). Information capacity of the model has been proved by the confirmation of the hypotheses assuming strong relationships among business environment quality and regional GDP and population size of regions. A synthesis allowed us to define the main regularities, evaluate the competitive positions of regions and create the spatial model of the economic development of the Czech Republic. Special attention has been given to the unique method for the identification of territorial systems of poles and axes of development and further to the hierarchy of integration processes (using the profile interaction method). Subsequently, we conceptualized the results from the perspective of regional policy creation using the method of development scenarios. This allows for a flexible optimization of the main priorities and tools of a regional policy (regions are defined and territorially specified by means of flexible sets of relevant measures). From a theoretical perspective, we extend the knowledge about the processes of polarization and integration as key manifestations of the principles of developmental and hierarchical differentiation of society in the conditions of increasing globalisation.