Professor: Andrés Rodríguez-Pose

Session 1: Economic polarisation and the regional development trap in Europe

What factors cause certain European regions to fall into long-term economic stagnation despite past dynamism? This session explores the concept of regional development traps, extending the idea of the middle-income trap to subnational areas. It outlines how persistent low growth in income, productivity and employment can signal structural challenges and policy neglect. Drawing on a dynamic, multi-dimensional measure applied across European regions, the presentation will discuss how these traps arise at various income levels and consider the implications for policy-makers striving to reverse stagnation and promote inclusive, regionally balanced growth.

Session 2: The Geography of EU discontent and its consequences

Is persistent economic stagnation a key sources of political discontent? This session will examine how long-term underperformance in GDP per capita, productivity and employment -relative to national and European benchmarks- creates development traps. The risk, intensity and duration of these traps are strongly linked to rising support for Eurosceptic and anti-system parties. The lecture offers insights into the multifaceted causes of regional discontent and discusses policy strategies to prevent such entrenchment and to restore economic dynamism.

Session 3: Golfing with Trump. Decline, inequality, and the rise of Trumpism in the US

How have long-term economic and demographic declines in once-cohesive communities contributed to the rise of Trumpism in the United States? This session will delve into the paradox that regions with relatively high social capital -traditionally seen as the bedrock of civic engagement- are now more prone to populist swings. By examining US counties over several decades, the session will cover how persistent declines in employment and population, rather than interpersonal inequality alone, have fuelled a shift towards populist voting. The analysis suggests that, for many tight-knit communities facing long-term decay, collective loss is experienced as both an economic and a political crisis, paving the way for support for anti-establishment, Trump-style politics.

Professor: Andrés Rodríguez-Pose

Session 1: The rise of discontent and Europe’s dwindling capacity to combat climate change

How do regional vulnerabilities in the face of climate change and the green transition trigger political discontent? This session will present composite indicators that capture spatial vulnerabilities to both climate impacts —such as extreme weather events and rising temperatures— and the disruptive costs of a green transition. By merging environmental vulnerability metrics with novel electoral indices based on party positions towards sustainability, the presentation will reveal that regions facing higher green transition burdens exhibit distinctive voting patterns. The findings suggest that without a fair and just transition that equitably distributes both its benefits and costs, growing environmental discontent could undermine Europe’s capacity to effectively combat climate change.

Professor: Neil Lee

Session 2: The uneven geography of innovation

What is the geography of innovation? Why does it concentrate into particular cities and regions? And what are the implications of this geography for the world economy? This session will consider the uneven geography of innovation, the forces driving these changes, and the hubs which are driving the world economy.

Session 3: Innovation, inequality, and inclusive growth

Innovation is crucial for economic growth, but the returns are unevenly distributed. Many of the most successful innovation hubs are highly unequal, but not all. What can we learn from places where innovation is broadly shared? Drawing on cases in Europe and Asia, this lecture will consider how innovation can be combined with inclusive growth.

Professor: Neil Lee

Session 1: The future of innovation policy in a changing world

Technological change, geopolitical shifts, and the transition to net zero are forcing policymakers to change the way policy is done. As technologies such as AI and clean energy become increasingly important, governments are rethinking their support for innovation. What can we learn from countries such as Singapore or Sweden which are at the forefront of innovation policy in a changing world?

Session 2: What works? Designing innovation policy for left-behind places

One of the biggest challenges in economic development is how to create innovation for left-behind places. This lecture will consider why top-down policies can fail, but how strategies focused on local strengths can help regions adapt to economic change.

Lunch Cocktail Reception 

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