This research aims to analyse the link between the extractive industry and the manufacturing industry and to identify the factors explaining these links in 20 sub-Saharan African countries over the period from 1995 to 2023 using the Finite Mixture Method of Instrumental Variables (FMM-IV) and the Pooled Bewley (PB) method. The results indicate that the extractive mining industry has a negative or positive link effect depending on the level of the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, positive link effects are reinforced by physical capital, exchange rate policy and regional economic integration. Conversely, political instability and corruption tend to weaken these links, inducing negative linkages. These results therefore recommend economic integration and infrastructure development to strengthen the linkages between the mining and manufacturing industries. Finally, it is important to implement active policies to combat corruption and promote stable political institutions.
This article examines how comparative, policy-engaged research in urban and regional contexts can be designed and conducted by early career researchers (ECRs). Research that engages with and informs regional policy is increasingly in demand, particularly among policymakers seeking to develop new policy frameworks and learn from attempts at policy experimentation elsewhere. Yet designing and undertaking analytically rigorous comparative research projects that are of practical and policy relevance presents distinct challenges, particularly for ECRs and those new to such research. Drawing on comparative research on inclusive innovation across four cities, the article offers a reflexive synthesis of lessons from conducting policy-engaged comparative regional research in practice. It shows how established qualitative methods, including desk research, field visits, interviews and facilitated workshops, can be combined and adapted within an iterative research process that supports dialogue, trust-building and context-sensitive comparison across diverse urban settings. The article provides practical methodological guidance on navigating issues of access, legitimacy, stakeholder engagement and comparative learning. It highlights the value of provisional analytical framing, sustained engagement with policy actors and light-touch diagnostic tools that support structured reflection and collective sense-making. In doing so, the article contributes a practice-oriented account of how comparative, policy-engaged research is undertaken and offers practical lessons for ECRs working in complex, multi-actor policy environments.
The limited community-level data and the lack of economic models tailored to Indigenous economies present significant challenges for conducting ex-ante evaluations of investments in remote Indigenous communities. This lack of adequate modelling efforts might result in misleading government interventions that could have limited or even negative economic impacts for the communities concerned. This study develops a methodological tool to support policy and government planning through Input-Output models adapted to capture the structure of local economies in remote Indigenous communities in Canada. Adapting the Northwest Territories Supply and Use Tables (240 industries and 492 products) published by Statistics Canada, the model incorporates community-specific sectors, leakages, imports, transportation costs, inventories and commercial activities. Using Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, as a case study, we estimate the economic impacts of community-based biomass energy production, including potential cost savings, business creation and greater income circulation. Results show positive local effects: the biomass project generates total sector output of CAD 602,021 (output multiplier of 1.023). Total household income impacts reach CAD 86,498, comprising CAD 57,618 from the disposable-income effect of lower energy costs and CAD 28,880 in wage income from project-related sectoral activity. Average output multipliers in Fort McPherson (1.03) were substantially lower than comparable territorial multipliers (1.40), highlighting the importance of community-specific modelling. Sensitivity analysis showed that total sector output varied by only 1.03% across alternative household spending retention assumptions. This methodology can be applied to other remote and marginalised communities, providing a framework to guide local investments, energy security and economic development.
This study examines the drivers of regional economic development in the European Union over the period 2000–2021. We focus on conventional determinants, various sectoral covariates and the role of local institutions. Controlling for spatial spillover effects and potential endogeneity, we confirm that investment, human capital and specialisation in service activities are key drivers of regional development. In addition, the quality of government (QoG) is a significant predictor of regional development. In line with theoretical arguments, impartiality has a higher impact on economic growth than the quality of public services and control of corruption.
As technological change reshapes the global automotive industry, the Italian automotive supply chain offers a revealing case of the challenges associated with the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Using novel firm-level survey data, this study identifies the main barriers to EV-related innovation and links them to the policy instruments firms perceive as most effective in supporting electrification.Our results reveal pronounced regional heterogeneity. While market-oriented policies receive broad support across territory and firm size and position in the value chain, firms in Southern Italy place greater emphasis on innovation policies to foster industrial linkages and strengthen local production networks. By contrast, suppliers in the Northwest and Centre – where the core of the Italian automotive industry is concentrated – express stronger demand for skills-oriented policies, reflecting workforce constraints during the transition. Overall, risk-averse suppliers are sceptical about policy effectiveness, while demand uncertainty, innovation costs and institutional mistrust emerge as key mediating barriers shaping policy support, especially in Northern and Central regions.
