Main areas of analysis: - Identification of the particular territorial specificities that the territories under investigation (mountain, island and sparsely populated and peripheral areas) are subject to. - Analysis of the chain of causalities between these territorial specificities and the constraints and opportunities they lead to in terms of facilitating economic and social development. - Identification of the comparative advantages of these regions by emphasising their specific development opportunities, i.e. not shared with other types of territories. - Investigation of the temporal change linked to the impacts of current macro-trends on these territories, highlighting their degree of vulnerability to external factors. - Identification of the key levers available for future policy actions aiming to take full advantage of the specific potentials of the concerned territories and counterbalancing social and economic trends that could hamper or block development.