1st Edition
The Regional Economics of Technological Transformations Industry 4.0 and Servitisation in European Regions
The Regional Economics of Technological Transformations provides a comprehensive overview of 4.0 technological transformations in Europe and their socio-economic impact, with a particular emphasis on the regional dimension of the phenomena. The authors employ extensive original data and robust quantitative methods to analyse technological change in all regions of the 27 EU countries plus the UK and shed light on this trend for Europe and beyond.
Structured in four parts, the book first looks at conceptual definitions, empirical measurements and expected impacts on both the economic performance (GDP and productivity growth) and the labour market, and then moves on to analyse where 4.0 technological transformation actually takes place in Europe and the reasons for this. Next, it offers original empirical evidence on the impacts of the different transformations, and of their intertwined effects, on both the economy and the society. Finally, the book explores the policy implications of this technological transformation.
This book will be valuable reading for advanced students, researchers and policymakers working across regional economics, industrial economics and innovation policy. It will be of primary interest to regional scientists interested in the field, who may enjoy the conceptual and empirical solutions to the study of a very complex, timely and still largely unexplored theme. Sociologists, engineers and political economists can benefit from the book’s analysis, noting the urgency of the development of new ethical rules governing the new digital and labour markets. Finally, the book may appeal to policymakers interested in opportunities to increase regional competitiveness and sustainability goals through the advent of 4.0 technologies.
Introduction: An inquiry on regional trends and impacts of the 4.0 technological transformations Part I. Setting the scene: definition and impacts of 4.0 technological transformations 1: The 4.0 technological transformations and their regional socio-economic dimension 2: The regional economic effects of 4.0 technological transformations 3: 4.0 technological transformations and the local labour markets Part II. 4.0 technological transformations in European regions 4: From conceptual definitions to empirical measurements: logics, methods and data 5: Transformation in the market for the new technologies: 4.0 inventing regions 6: Regional technological transformation patterns in Europe Part III. Socio-economic impacts of 4.0 technological transformations in European regions 7: Regional economic effects of 4.0 technological transformations 8: Effects on the regional labour market Part IV. Concluding remarks 9. Conclusions and policy implications References
Biography
Roberta Capello is Full Professor of Regional and Urban Economics at Politecnico di Milano. She is the editor in chief of Papers in Regional Science, founder and editor in chief of the Italian Journal of Regional Science (2020-2020) and past president of the Regional Science Association International (2009-2010). She is the author of a textbook Regional Economics, published in English (Routledge, London), Italian (Il Mulino, Bologna) and Chinese (Economy and Management Publishing House, Beijing).
Camilla Lenzi is Associate Professor of Regional and Urban Economics at Politecnico di Milano. She has published on several international refereed journals, including Journal of Urban Economics, Urban Studies, Regional Studies and Journal of Regional Science, and participated in several EU funded projects (ESPON, FP6 and FP7). She is on the editorial board of Papers in Regional Science.
