Abstract

The 2018 Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society Conference will be on the topic of ‘Industrial Policy’ and will be held on 12-13 July 2018 at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

After years of disrepute in several countries, Industrial Policy (IP) is back in vogue of late at regional, national and international levels, driven by concerns over competitiveness, globalisation, de-industrialisation, unemployment and, in the European case, by comparatively slow growth. Modern industrial policy is a broad concept and has moved beyond entailing specific industrial policies (that aim to improve the competitiveness of particular firms and sectors); rather, it is increasingly viewed as the architecture through which the state enables businesses and people to acquire new capabilities to enhance growth and socio-economic development within geographical places. The conference themes include: Rethinking sectoral and regional-level industrial policies Changes in manufacturing processes Smart Specialisation strategies Enhancing growth and socio-economic development *Regional/International policies