CALL FOR PAPERS

“Regional Economies in Change: Networks, Development and Resilience”

Special session of the XIX. Annual Meeting of the Hungarian Regional Science Association

November 4-5, 2021, Budapest, Hungary

Regional economies across Europe show persistent disparities in economic performance and face a number of continuous structural challenges. Automation and the need for green transition puts pressure on established economic structures. Stagnating industrialised and peripheral regions suffer from a slow-burning decline in economic outcomes, while dynamic large urban agglomerations gain greater shares of high-wage jobs. Regions are also more exposed to external shocks due to their increasing openness and interdependencies with the global economy. Finally, due to shifting industrial and occupational structures, as well as income polarisation, people in an increasing number of regions are experiencing their economic opportunities and welfare provision diminishing, which is directly linked to a growing social and political discontent. Against this backdrop the ongoing pandemic hit hard, and continues to pose challenges unprecedented in recent history.

Hence, inequalities, regional development and resilience are high on both the academic and policy agenda. Recent advancements explore the structural pressures that automation and green transition puts on local labour markets. Studies demonstrate that social networks play a critical role in how inequalities get amplified or mitigated in regions. We are beginning to understand how detailed input-output, supplier and relatedness network structures shape the economic outcomes and resilience of regions. Yet, much work still needs to be done.

With this in mind the ANET Lab of KRTK, the NeTI Lab of Corvinus University, the Institute of Economics and Economic Development of the University of Szeged, and the Innovation Subcommittee of MTA RTB are pleased to announce the special session on “Regional Economies in Change: Networks, Development and Resilience” to be held at the XIX. Annual Meeting of the Hungarian Regional Science Association.

The special session aims to establish a platform for interdisciplinary discussions focusing on networks, economic development and inequalities in cities and regions. We intend to bring together scholars who are working on the intersection of social networks or network science and economic geography, urban economics or related fields.

Conceptual or methodological developments in the above domains are both welcome. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Regional economic resilience
• Automation, green transition and structural change in local labour markets
• Collaboration networks and technological diversification
• Networks within and across company borders
• Social networks and inequalities
• Interaction between multinationals and domestic companies
• Structure and evolution of input-output and supplier networks
• Urban mobility networks

Session organisers:

Lengyel Balázs (lengyel.balazs@krtk.hu), KRTK ANET Lab & NeTI Lab of Corvinus University
Zsófia Vas (vas.zsofia@eco.u-szeged.hu), University of Szeged
Zoltán Elekes (elekes.zoltan@krtk.hu), KRTK ANET Lab & Umeå University

About the conference

The XIX. Annual Meeting of the Hungarian Regional Science Association, entitled “New forms of spatial inequalities and changing spatial policy”, will be held November 4-5, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. The conference will be located at the Corvinus University of Budapest, H-1093, Budapest, Fővám tér 8.

Abstract submission and session attendance

Please send an extended abstract of 1-2 pages (including maximum 1 figure and references) to elekes.zoltan@krtk.hu no later than 10 October.

The attendance of the special session requires registration on the conference website.