RESEARCH BRIEFING European Coherence and Regional Policy? A Finnish Perspective on the Observed and Reported Territorial Impacts of EU Research and Development Policies TOMMI INKINEN Information Society Institute (ISI), University of Tampere, Finland ABSTRACT The present article focuses on recent analysis on the regional impacts of research and development (R&D) actions within the European Union (EU). Focus will be on exploring a report produced by the European Spatial Observation Network (ESPON), and essential viewpoints of the report will be studied from the Finnish perspective. The operating framework is based on social scientific methodology. The conclusions are based on the current evolution of the Finnish innovation and technology policy. Also thematic areas for further research programming and information needs are proposed. Introduction This paper was inspired by the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) research programme. The programme is divided into several content areas of the current European regional development. Focus in this article will be on the sub-project 2.1.2 and its final report of which the author of this article wrote the Finnish scientific evaluation for the programme monitoring committee (ESPON, 2004). The thematic involves the analysis of the European Unions (EUs) research and development (R&D) policies and their regional impacts. Selected key-points are discussed in this paper from the Finnish perspective with references to a wider European context. Correspondence Address: Tommi Inkinen, Information Society Institute (ISI), University of Tampere, FIN- 33014, Finland. Email: tommi.inkinen@uta.fi ISSN 0965-4313 print=ISSN 1469-5944 online=05=071113–09 # 2005 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080=09654310500242139 European Planning Studies Vol. 13, No. 7, October 2005