Regions in transition – How to mobilize multi-scalar networks for sustainable development?
Date: Thu 3.9.2026
Time: 09:00 – 12:00 + lunch after the workshop
Place: ETH Zurich, exact location tbd
Organizers: Rahel Meili, Markus Steen, Christian Binz, Johan Miorner (tbc), Camilla Chlebna (tbc)
Registration: click here
About the workshop
This workshop is co-organized by the STRN thematic group on the geography of sustainability transitions (GeoST) and the Swiss research association for regional policy (ROREP) as an add-on event after the IST conference 2026. It brings together scholars and practitioners from transition studies, economic geography, and regional/innovation policy to discuss the state of the art and future research directions around a key questions of the GeoST field: How can regions mobilize their embedding in multi-scalar networks to induce more sustainable regional development paths?
The question how interactions between processes operating across local, regional, national, and global scales shape regional development and transition trajectories has been approached from various theoretical angles in the literature, comprising i.a. GVC/GPN, global innovation systems, or industrial path development approaches. Different models of how regions can mobilize their embedding in multi-scalar networks have been put forward, but a systematic mapping of the ideal-type regional development paths that result from different types and forms of multi-scalar interactions is still lacking.
This half-day workshop invites researchers and practitioners from Switzerland and globally to jointly explore the state of the art of research that explores how regional actors reconfigure local asset endowments, strategically couple to global value chains, or mobilize system resources from elsewhere to induce sustainable development paths. A key question to be addressed in the workshop is whether GeoST-inspired theorizing can provide an original take for explaining sustainable regional path development and related policy advice and – if not – what is still missing to get there?
WHAT TO EXPECT
The workshop combines short inputs, interactive group discussions, and joint reflection. Participants will explore three ideal-type pathways through which regions can foster sustainable development:
- Upgrading regional innovation systems (e.g. local value chains and endogenous development)
- Challenge-oriented regional reconfiguration (regions adapting to societal challenges through multi-scalar and ‘mission-oriented’ restructuring)
- Anchoring in global cleantech value chains (e.g. green industrial leapfrogging)
In breakout sessions, participants will discuss:
- How regions position themselves within multi-scalar networks
- Opportunities and constraints for sustainable development
- Implications for regional and innovation policy