Addressing brain drain: the local and regional dimension

Contracting Party: The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) (under the Framework Contract No. CDR/TL2/59/2017/1)

Period: 2018

URL: https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/studies/Documents/addressing-brain-drain/addressing-brain-drain.pdf

Description:

This study, co-authored by Progress Consulting S.r.l. and supported by the Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma (UNINT), investigates how local and regional authorities (LRAs) have developed and implemented local and regional strategies and/or policies with the aim of tackling brain drain and, in particular, the massive out-flow of highly-skilled young people.
Since such out-migration is producing negative socio-economic consequences for sending regions and positive effects for receiving regions, the study aims at understanding the extent of the phenomenon in Europe at regional level (Part 1) and how LRAs design and implement effective local measures and/or policies to mitigate/reduce brain drain or to attract talents.
The study builds on the collection of evidence in the form of an inventory of 30 initiatives by LRAs in 22 EU Member States aimed at retaining and/or attracting talents. (Part 2).
Ten case studies selected among the initiatives further highlighted the framing conditions, results and/or evidence of impact and lessons learnt in successful stories (Part 3).
Finally, a set of recommendations to provide inspiration to LRAs in sending regions for the future design or follow-up of local and regional measures and/or policies tackling brain drain is drawn based on the evidence collected (Part 4).