The study of how new regional industrial paths develop is a key topic in economic geography. In the last years, a number of important conceptual advancements and constantly growing empirical insights from distinct cases have contributed to refine our understanding of new industrial path development. One major reason for this interest is that new paths are perceived to generate positive regional development outcomes. However, up to now we know surprisingly little about the short- and long-term economic and social effects for regions. Existing studies on new path development tend not to make a link to such regional development outcomes. Although a new regional industrial path has the potential to generate substantial economic gains – both directly (e.g. employment generation, firm entries, etc.) as well as indirectly (e.g. knowledge spillover, production linkages, etc.) – recent research also points to possible ‘dark sides’ of new industrial path development (MacKinnon et al. 2019; Breul et al. 2021; Morales & Atienza 2022). In other words, the development of a new industrial path cannot automatically be interpreted as a positive regional economic or social outcome. The emergence of new industrial paths can lead to displacements, such as in the form of resource movement effects or through processes of creative destruction, that can have mixed socio-economic implications for regional economies. This points to the important role for policy, also beyond supporting the creation of new industrial paths, to optimize its socio-economic outcomes throughout the region, and for different groups in society.
This special issue sets out to improve our understanding of the conditions under which new industrial path development contributes to different kinds of regional economic and social development and for whom.
The special issue thereby aims to contribute to a significant shortfall in the existing stream of research on regional diversification and regional industrial path development, which Kogler noted “should move to the top of the research priorities list” (2017, p. 366). This advancement would provide the current debate the required directionality to address critical challenges, such as the need to transform regional economies via green industrial path development or the creation of economic opportunities in so-called places that 'don't matter'.
We invite submissions that elaborate on how to link the study of new industrial path development with a developmental perspective, both conceptually and methodologically. Possible topics include but are not limited to:
- Conceptual contributions that link path development with a developmental perspective
- Methodological approaches that allow us to grasp the regional economic, environmental, and social consequences of new industrial path development
- Analyses of inter-path relations (synergies, resource movement effects, path reformation processes)
- Exclusion in path development processes
- Value capture and distribution in new path development
- Role of policies for shifting new path development towards environmental and societal outcomes
- Discussions on the ‘desirability’ of paths for regions
- Theoretical and empirical analysis of potential negative forms of new path development
- Role of agency in a broader perspective of regional development
