Geographies of Economic Transformations

Theme

The aim of this session is to discuss how a geographical perspective helps to shed light on urgent research topics related to innovation and economic transformation. 

First, ongoing robotization and digitalization have brought new socio-economic tensions and polarizing labour markets to the fore. These tensions question one of the most important features of a thriving capitalist economy – the social legitimacy of economic transformation. Conflicts come in distinct geographical patterns, and a geographical perspective helps understanding their nature. 

Second, as the economy is struggling with the necessary transformation to a greener version of itself, new geographies of innovation and production emerge. However, electrical power systems, infrastructure and skill structures in most local economies are adapted to the old economy. A geography-of-transitions lens helps to analyse the complex dynamics underlying the energy transitions as well as transitions in other sectors such as mobility, food, housing and healthcare.  

Third, a new geo-political reality gives local economies new and sometimes unexpected roles to fill. As arguments about “strategic autonomy”, “technological sovereignty” and “regionalization” make their way through the political and business arenas, new policies are put in place to diversify the global supply of core manufacturing inputs (such as semiconductors) and essential raw materials (such as rare earth minerals), and to pressurize firms and localities to adapt to new circuits of global supply. Established sourcing solutions are put to test, and with that, firm’s globalized strategies of business. 

In the session, these themes will be addressed in short opening talks. In a moderated dialogue with the audience, we will then discuss how geography is increasingly re-introduced as a factor of consideration in addressing urgent societal issues linked to current economic change.

Speakers

Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Princesa de Asturias Chair and is a Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics, UK. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Innovation Research, University of Stavanger, Norway. He chairs the EU’s High-Level Group on the future of Cohesion policy.

Anet Weterings, Senior researcher at the Department of Urbanisation and Transport, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Her research foci include regional differences in labour market opportunities and how the regional labour market situation may affect the energy transition.

Koen Frenken, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. See information below.

Martin Henning, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. See information below.