Epilogue

‘Generals may make good leaders of armies but few generals become skilled diplomats or successful politicians. Can your business deploy skills of political diplomacy or relational governance, or is it full of soldiers deep in analysis of competitors, practicing their skills in military deployment and the stratagems of the campaign?’ (Roome, 2008) A cast of international authors investigated, in parallel to the issue which Roome addresses, ‘Innovation for Survival and Competition.’ The findings of the authors of the present book hit the core of our intellectual interest captured within the two major themes of this book — cultural entrepreneurship and place branding. The need for ‘generals’ to improve competitiveness, anchored in their internal, linear-oriented logic, and public diplomats who are capable of dealing with contradictions and tensions think and act beyond conflict (Avraham, this volume), which often flow from opposing commercial and public planning orientations. Throughout the world, the vision of places, that is, nations, urban and rural regions, is outdated, inadequate and fragmented. The authorities face an array of crises ranging from crumbling infrastructure, the threat of terrorism, and the increasing divide between the formal and the informal economy. This book features the perspectives of the key theories, cases and themes in 14 articles, authored by an array of scientists from ten countries and the Principality of Monaco.