Sandrine Labory from the University of Ferrara, Italy will deliver a seminar on 'Industrial Policy post-Covid-19: Disentangling Complexity'.

Industry around the world is going through a process of deep transformation following not only the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), but also other societal challenges such as climate change and the need to preserve the environment (or prevent further damage to it) and dealing with pandemics and rising inequalities. These challenges have separate and very complex effects, but they are also intertwined and interdependent, making it extremely difficult to derive a comprehensive vision of where the (global) economy and society will head towards. These challenges are also changing the conditions in which industry develops, and expediate the necessity for companies to design new and sustainable products, production processes and strategies. In this context of deep structural change, the state can play a key role using industrial policies to smooth the transition and by “governing complexity”. How can this be done? The presentation will discuss how to disentangle this complexity, drawing on insights of the author’s long-term research on industrial policy and strategy.

Sandrine is Associate Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Ferrara, Italy. Her research is focused on the development of ecosystems and industrial policies, at all levels of government (local, regional and national). She has published numerous articles on the subject, as well as books, including Industrial Policy for the Manufacturing revolution : perspectives on digital globalisation (Edward Elgar, 2018, with Patrizio Bianchi) and the Handbook of Industrial Development (co-edited with Patrizio Bianchi and Phil Tomlinson, Edward Elgar, 2023).