Costs, incentives, and institutions in bridging evolutionary economic geography and global production networks. Issue 6 (3rd June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés
• Is Part Of: Regional studies. Volume 55:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: 1011
• Page End: 1014
• Publication Date: 2021-06-03
• Subjects: evolutionary economic geography -- global production networks -- strategic coupling -- institutions; F23 -- L22 -- R58; Regional planning -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 307.14
• DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2021.1914833
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0034-3404

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Two of the most influential strands in economic geography and regional studies – evolutionary economic geography and global production networks – have run on parallel tracks with limited cross-fertilization. The Regional Studies Annual Lecture 2020 paper by Henry Yeung proposes building bridges across both strands to improve our understanding of the uneven distribution and evolution of economic activity across the world. He puts forward the concept of strategic coupling as the foundation of such bridges. In this reply I argue that strategic coupling will not suffice, unless the variations in costs and incentives for engaging in networks and the different capacity of cities and regions to assimilate the benefits of innovation diffusion through networks are taken into consideration.