The islands, especially small ones, have often had to face distinctive situations and limitations that prevented their full economic development. The hypothesis is that the islands are characterized by a kind of innate disadvantage with respect to both the mainland and other territories remote from core areas. This project aims to define and measure the main costs of insularity. The starting point will be to provide accurate definitions to allow for clear distinction between the concept of remoteness and that of insularity. In particular, the analytical framework of the New Economic Geography (NEG) will allow to define scenarios on what could be hypothesized to occur in the absence of disadvantages from insularity. For example, we will assess whether because of well-known accessibility problems, companies/plants operating in Sardinia have suffered from a 'bad selection' phenomenon, which in turn has made the island even less attractive for other productive activities, with further negative consequences for the local market size and the productivity level of the whole economic system. More generally, we will assess to what extent it is possible to ascribe to insularity a significant proportion of past missed economic growth opportunities.   Scientific referee: Francesco Pigliaru (pigliaru@unica.it) and Anna Maria Pinna (ampinna@unica.it) Project Manager: Massimo Carboni (massimo.carboni@crenos.unica.it)   The project is funded by Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (L.R. 7/2007).   For more information click here.