Geopolitics and the Knowledge Economy
Political and socio-economic processes significantly shape the degree of social, institutional, and market organization, technological and scientific advancement, and overall prosperity that is enjoyed by the public at certain places at a given point in time. Research contributions in this stream of inquiry primarily focus on geopolitical and economic aspects in the context of place specific current events and past experiences, spatially embedded social movements and responses to events related to globalization processes and economic crisis, and institutionalized forms of social organization that are practiced across different scales within and across nation-states.
Current studies by members of this research segment focus on a variety of topics, including:
- European Union – expansion and integration processes;
- US foreign policy and international trade;
- the interconnection between drugs and war;
- transnational immigration and social integration into labor markets;
- the evolutionary economic geography of knowledge formation and diffusion;
- agglomeration economies, with particular focus on knowledge externalities;
- territorial innovation systems.
Overall, research efforts are directed towards the analysis of institutional and organizational aspects that determine the contemporary global political and economic map. The role played by individuals, firms, and public entities, as well as the physical setting, as they relate to processes related to social reproduction, and technological change and growth, are attributed special attention, especially in the context of sustainable and environmental sound local and regional economic development.
Academic staff associated with this research theme include: Alun Jones, Dieter F. Kogler, Julien Mercille, and Enda Murphy, among others.