Correspondence: Alexander.LEMBCKE@oecd.org

Summary of the Session’s Theme and Objectives

As industrial policy reemerges as a key factor in discussions on economic growth and resilience, a critical question arises: what strategies can regions employ to successfully transform their industrial structure, and what mix of regional development and industrial policies are necessary to support this transformation? 
This session aims to draw concrete lessons for future policy development by i) considering examples of successful industrial transitions in regions in OECD and EU countries and the pathways they took; ii) identifying comparative and absolute advantages that support competitive tradable (manufacturing and services) activities of different types of regions, including large cities, smaller cities and low-density rural areas, iii) examining a range of strategies from incremental shifts, such as promoting related industries and occupations that leverage existing skill sets, to more radical transformative “big leaps”, which involve establishing new knowledge and skills ecosystems in a region. By considering these diverse approaches, the session encourages contributions that investigate industrial, innovation, and regional development policies as well as the impact of funding programmes. 
The ultimate goal of this session is to develop an evidence-based foundation for tailoring industrial transformation strategies and policies to the unique contexts of different regions, thereby promoting equitable and sustainable growth.

List of Topics to Be Presented in the Special Session

• Analysis that provides insights into the historical and contemporary trajectories of industrial transition, including their determinants in regions in OECD and EU countries
• Evaluations of the effectiveness of policies enabling industrial transitions, including assessements of considering policy design, governance and overall track record
• Examinations of the evolution of occupational structures and other measures of industrial change and their implications for regional development.

Key References

Bartik, T. (2020), “Using Place-Based Jobs Policies to Help Distressed Communities”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(3), pp. 99-127.

Autor, D., D. Dorn and G. Hanson (2016), “The China Shock: Learning from Labor-Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade”, Annual Review of Economics, 8(1), pp. 205-240.

Boschma, R. (2016), “Relatedness as driver of regional diversification: a research agenda”, Regional Studies, 51(3), pp. 351-364.

Crescenzi, R., Dyèvre, A., & Neffke, F. (2022). “Innovation catalysts: How multinationals reshape the global geography of innovation.” Economic Geography, 98(3), 199-227. 

Gagliardi, L., Moretti, E., & Serafinelli, M. (2023). “The world’s rust belts: The heterogeneous effects of deindustrialization on 1,993 cities in six countries.” National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 31948. 

Velthuis, S., Royer, J., Le Petit-Guerin, M., Cauchi-Duval, N., Franklin, R., Leibert, T.,

MacKinnon, D., Pike, A. (2025). Regional varieties of ‘left-behindness’ in the EU15. Regional Studies, 59(1), 2417704.