Elona Karafili

XXX Cycle - (A.A. 2014-2015)

IDAUP
Home Institution: Polis University Tirana
Scholarship
Curriculum: Urban Planning (ICAR20)
Research Topic: Cluster Policies
Tutor DA-UNIFE: Gastone Ave
Tutor Polis University:Peter Nientied
Nationality: Albanian

Email: elona_karafili@universitetipolis.edu.al

Profile

Biography
Elona Karafili, is a qualified professional in the field of urban economics and finance, as well as a lecturer and researcher at POLIS University, Tirana. Her main interests include topics like competitiveness, regional and local innovation systems, firm learning and knowledge absorption, evolutionary economic geography. After graduating from the University of Tirana, she completed her Master studies at Erasmus University, Rotterdam.She is currently pursuing her PhD studies focusing on Cluster Policies in transition economies, drawing lessons from the case of Albania. Elona has a solid background in project management, counting a number of Erasmus+ KA1, Erasmus+ KA2 and Horizon 2020 projects. She has also held several managerial positions, like Vice Dean of the Faculty of Planning and currently Vice-Rector of POLIS University.

Research skills
Competitiveness | Innovation Systems | Economic Clusters | Planning Policies | Evolutionary Economics

Scientific activities

ORCID ID:
0000-0002-1769-8367

IRIS UNIFE ID:
rp00000

Doctoral research

Cluster Policies in Transition Economies - The case of Albania

This research studies cluster dynamics in transition economies, exploring the case of Albania. It analyses the effectiveness of policies adopted in cluster promotion, using complexity thinking and evolutionary economic geography approaches. Clusters are searched in relation to regional competitiveness and regional innovation systems, while discussing their features such as co-opetition, proximity and innovativeness. The peculiarities of transition economies result in distortions that lead to different cluster dynamics. It is in response of these peculiarities that the cluster policies must be tailored. While there is a sense of exhaustion from top down policies and the national innovation systems prerogative, the suggested model by this research, in line with some of the most recent policy frameworks, advocates the need for flexibility, bottom up initiatives and place-based approaches. By means of conclusion, the research comes up with a new model of territorial policies for cluster development, shifting from what can be called static towards dynamic planning.

Keywords
Transition economies | Cluster policies | Competitiveness | Innovation | Planning Policies