The past plays a crucial role in understanding, developing and implementing regional economic development policies. History reveals path dependencies in regions’ economies and informs about the successes and failures of policy instruments. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Regional Studies Association, the RSA Research Network on Regional Economic and Policy History (ReHi) has been founded and funded. The main objective of the network is to explore what a historic perspective may contribute to regional studies as well as current regional policy-making and how approaches and methodologies used by historians can be better integrated in regional studies. This workshop focuses on the development of cooperation between regions within and across national borders, with special attention to communication, learning and policy transfer.