Europa Universalis IV · Progression strategy
Province development and institution presence
Developing a province spends monarch points that could otherwise advance technology. The discussion also says development can increase an institution's presence in that province and may help institutions appear in a country in some regions.
How it works
The point expense competes with technology advancement, while institution presence may matter toward embracing. The discussion explicitly distinguishes these effects from direct research speed. It does not support treating development as a general technology accelerator.
Read the supporting references
Check the edition and source version for patch-specific details. Guide methodology.