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Call for Papers
New Global Dynamics in
Manufacturing and Services Relocation
Special Session at
Regional Studies Association Annual Conference on
Global Growth Agendas:
Regions, Institutions and Sustainability
24th – 27th May 2015
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
One of the outcomes of the recent global recession has been a noticeable increase in support for 'made locally' expressed by customers and politicians alike, particularly in advanced nations. Both, the recession and 'made locally' attitudes, contribute to changing sourcing and production strategies employed by multinational enterprises and a move towards backshoring or reshoring of economic activity to the firm's country of origin. While the 'global shift-back' is yet to fully materialise, such emerging trends in relocation of manufacturing and services influence directions and volumes of inward investment flows and create diverse impacts in home and host regional economies.
Backshoring, arguably, is a supply chain strategy matter, but produces significant political, social, economic and environmental consequences and shapes development processes of areas providing and receiving returning activities. Consequently to many public institutions tasked with local and regional development, backshoring acts as an incentive to review inward investment support frameworks and regional policy approaches.
In recent decades the focus on manufacturing and later services location has been subsumed to the outsourcing and offshoring decisions, reflecting the dominant trends driven by businesses' desire to benefit from efficiency advantages offered by low-cost economies.
More recently corporate attention has shifted to examine whether or not low-cost locations still provide optimal conditions for competitive and profitable operations. Correspondingly national, regional and local authorities in both developed and developing nations use ever more sophisticated regional policy tools to attract and retain investors. Research on these issues is only evolving, and this special session is designed to provide an arena to further incipient discussions and pave the way for identification of future research directions. The papers in this session will explore recent dynamics of manufacturing and services relocation, its consequences and policy solutions aimed at attraction of backshored investments to areas until recently considered 'passé'.
The contributions may explore, but should not be limited to the following issues:
§ emerging trends in relocation of economic activities
§ backshoring trends in manufacturing and service sectors
§ factors determining backshoring decisions
§ regional policy measures supporting backshoring of manufacturing and services
§ consequences of backshoring for host and home regional/local economies
§ regional revival or downgrading of skill base
§ backshoring, knowledge back-transfers and regional innovation systems
§ backshoring as a long-term trend or a short-lived phenomenon
Conceptual as well as empirical papers utilising qualitative and quantitative methodologies are welcome.
It is envisaged that a selection of papers presented at the session will form a special issue of a relevant peer-reviewed journal (details to be confirmed).
Please direct any queries to session convenor Dr Paweł Capik at [log in to unmask]
Abstract submission deadline: 30th January 2015
For registration and abstract submission guidelines please visit: www.regionalstudies.org/conferences/conference/regional-studies-association-annual-conference-2015-piacenza-italy