CREF researchers Angelica Sbardella and Andrea Tacchella are guest editors of a special issue in Scienze Regionali, a leading Italian journal in the field.

This issue will focus on the application of Economic Complexity (EC) methods to understand regional development. By examining how different scales influence economic outcomes, this research offers a fresh perspective on regional disparities and growth.

Read the full call:  https://www.rivisteweb.it/issn/1720-3929/newsdetail/406

Key Themes:

• Regional Perspectives on EC: How do EC tools and concepts apply to regions, cities, and even firms? What are the unique challenges and opportunities at these scales?
• Scale and Capabilities: How do different types of capabilities (e.g., technological, human, social) manifest at different scales (geographical, temporal, organizational)?
• Relatedness and Scale: How does the principle of relatedness (PoR) operate across different spatial and temporal scales? What are the mechanisms of knowledge transmission at each level?
• Diversification and Specialization: How do these processes interact at different scales? What are the implications for regional development strategies?
• Policy Implications: How can EC insights inform regional development policies, such as smart specialization and the green transition? How can policymakers navigate the trade-offs between related and unrelated diversification?

The Journal

Scienze Regionali is a multidisciplinary academic journal established in 2001 by the Italian Association of Regional Sciences (AISRe) with the aim to be a leading platform for research and debate on regional development and provide a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the complexities of regional development and the interactions between economic, social, and environmental factors.