Institute of Economic and Cultural Geography Institute News
New publications: Regional innovation system and large-scale agricultural investments

New publications: Regional innovation system and large-scale agricultural investments

© Dr. K. Nolte

How can we improve the conceptualisation of innovation model development for the specific case of China? Anna-Barbara Heindl pursues this question in a new publication in Geoforum through qualitative research in Chongqing, China. Based on empirical data analysis she argues that the conceptual separation of different regional innovation system (RIS) frameworks helps revealing dynamic developments of co-existing structures and paths within one regional economy, as it is has been called for continually in innovation geography.

Heindl, A.-B. (2020): Separate frameworks of regional innovation systems for analysis in China? Conceptual developments based on a qualitative case study in Chongqing. Geoforum, Vol. 115, October 2020, pp. 34-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.06.016

 

Why do some large-scale agricultural investments fail? In her new article in Applied Geography, Kerstin Nolte explores this question using a survival analysis based on data from the Land Matrix. The analysis shows that many projects fail: about one fifth of all agricultural investments in Africa fail.  Particularly affected are projects that are large in size, do not involve local investors, or grow agrofuels. This shows how important the sustainability of such projects, which are often welcomed by political decision-makers, is: agricultural projects require careful planning, especially in environments with limited infrastructure and weak institutions.

Nolte, K. (2020): Doomed to fail? Why some land-based investment projects fail. Applied Geography, 122, 102268. DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102268

 

Published by Dr. A.-B. Heindl und Dr. K. Nolte