Economic Geography

Economic Geography

The research section Economic Geography investigates the spatial distribution of economic activities and how it changes overtime. This question is addressed at different levels of analysis.

At a micro-level, we investigate the locational behaviour of firms and individuals (e.g. workers, scientists, migrants) and the role and position they play in local and global economies. Special attention is paid to the impact of high skilled immigration, foreign direct investments, institutions and firms’ spin-off on the innovation performance and economic diversification of cities and regions.

At meso and macro-levels, we investigate how firms and people in cities and regions form complex networks and how they evolve over time and space. These networks shape the evolution of economic systems and indicate which trajectories are more likely to emerge. On the long run, disruptive shocks in economic systems can cause regions to develop new growth paths, while on the short term they usually develop along path dependent trajectories. At this level of analysis, we address also how the build-up of new and the adaptation of existing institutions facilitate or hamper structural change and resillience to various degrees and in different forms.

Major changes in policy-thinking at these different levels of analysis are also addressed, such as smart specialization policy, industrial and innovation policy, and cohesion policy.

Within this theme, empirical analysis is conducted using state-of-the art statistical analysis and data rigor. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods and techniques are regarded as legitimate tools to increase our understanding of urban and regional economic development and policy.

Contact

For individual members of this research section, please see the staff listing.

Showcases

  • The ClusDevMed project

    The ClusDevMed Project – Clusters Development–aims to create the condition for the reinforcement of the existing clusters in the Mediterranean Area, with the support of other EU expertise and policies, and with the aim to bridge the distance among different stakeholders with the same objectives, and to find a way to create a common approach to solve the food-water-energy nexus.

    Andrea Morrison
    Economic Geography

  • POLISS

    POLISS is an Innovative Training Network funded by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (H2020-MSCA-ITN) bringing together 7 European Universities and 13 Partners with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the EU’s Smart Specialisation Policy.

    Andrea Morrison
    Economic Geography

  • H2020 MSCA RISE - TREND

    TREND is a joint exchange programme and aims at strengthening the regional capabilities in triggering, implementing and managing Transition Management (TM) strategies towards driving “resilience-building” processes.

    Pierre-Alexandre Balland
    Economic Geography

  • Soft innovation? Towards new narratives on regional capabilities and policies

    When it comes to innovation, most scholars and policymakers associate it rather exclusively with new technological inventions. Hence innovation hubs tend to coincide with places where organisations show strong technological capabilities. Yet, innovation is more than invention and also includes ‘soft’ elements that go beyond technology.

    prof. dr. Carolina Castaldi
    Prof. Dr. Carolina Castaldi
    Economic Geography