Abstract
This paper reviews growth and competitiveness in 94 Australian regions over the last two decades. Enterprising human capital is identified as a key determinant of regional outcomes. What we mean by regional competitiveness and enterprising human capital, and how it can be activated through engaging community and institutional behavior is explained. Recent research into the growth and competitiveness of Australian regions using multi-methods research has highlighted enterprising human capital as a key driver of regional outcomes. The multi-methods approach in the research represents a conditional interaction between econometric modeling of 94 regions and qualitative inquiry through 12 regional case study workshops. Regions seen as resilient and vulnerable to competitiveness are identified. Eight potential drivers of regional growth are examined using the Australian regional data. Regions with a good mix of positive drivers and a lower incidence of the negative driver are shown to perform more highly than others. Human capital is a key positive driver for regional growth that is latent in most regions. While creative capital and social capital are seen as important in the regional context it is enterprising human capital that holds the key to realizing outcomes. Enterprising human capital is the ability of regional residents to have an entrepreneurial capacity for knowledge activation goes beyond the 'good idea' or having a quality skill set. Engagement, through the formation of regional coalitions of reinforcing expertise and interest, with institutions, businesses, and other organizations and individuals, are seen as the way to realise regional growth and competitiveness objectives through endogenous enterprising human capital.