Date:
Location:
Speakers:
Simona Iammarino, Professor of Economic Geography, London School of Ecnoomics and Political Science
Philip McCann, Chair in Urban and Regional Economics, Sheffield University Management School
Frank Neffke, Research Director, Growth Lab
Please register in advance for this event.
The long-term development paths of countries and regions are shaped by a never-ending process of restructuring, with some countries and regions achieving fast growth over longer periods while others being locked into a trajectory of relative and sometimes absolute decline. Nonetheless, in some cases, some lagging regions and countries find renewed growth and previously vibrant countries and regions may lose momentum. It appears that economic restructuring benefits some countries and regions and put others at a disadvantage. The set of existing economic, political, and social and cultural activities and functions in a countries or region is important in this regard, and will determine whether a country or region can be at the forefront of such restructurings, can position itself to benefit from new rounds of investment and innovation, and can achieve more sustainable development, or instead will lose out and become marginalized. The variety in the development of countries and regions in the context of constant restructuring in the economy defies predictions of a clear-cut convergence or divergence, and instead leads to an intricate pattern of uneven development depending on a multitude of factors. Such combined and uneven development between countries and regions has of course long been a central research topic within economic geography, regional science and urban studies.
The aim of this workshop is to think about how to better conceptualize and empirically explore the development of (and between) countries and regions. This is particularly timely for several reasons. First, countries and regions have assumed increasing prominence over the past few decades in discussions about economic development, and with this there is a renewed interest in explaining deep-rooted differences in performance. Second, evolutionary perspectives and transitions to sustainable development have established themselves as key reference points in theorizing current economic, social and environmental challenges. Yet more work needs to be done to further develop these conceptual advances for understanding the long-term development of countries and regions and the necessary spatial governance, and for working out relevant policy implications. Finally, a new round of restructuring in the world economy, triggered by the 2007/8 global economic crisis and the outbreak of COVID-19, has been taking place. Consequently, we have reached a critical juncture to rethink our conceptualization of the world economy and regional economic development. At this juncture, there also appears scope for more interaction between scholars from different parts of the world.
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