From 21 to 23 October, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) is to host the 50th International Conference on Regional Science, bringing together leading international experts in the field. The opening keynote speech at the conference, which is expected to attract more than 300 participants, will be delivered by Ron Boschma, a professor at Utrecht University and an internationally recognized figure in regional science. His speech will address how to identify opportunities for economic diversification and guide regional policy, and will be one of the highlights of the conference programme. 

This year's edition aims to "discuss how artificial intelligence, digital transformation and sustainability are changing regions, and how we can guide these changes to create more opportunities and improve well-being", explained Carles Méndez-Ortega, a member of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on ICTs (I2TIC-IA Lab), based at the UOC-DIGIT centre, and a teaching staff member in the UOC Faculty of Economics and Business. Méndez-Ortega serves as both president of the Organizing Committee for the conference and president of the Catalan Association of Regional Science (ACCR), the organization hosting the event together with the Spanish Association of Regional Science (AECR) and the UOC, with the involvement of the Faculty of Economics and Business and support from the UOC-DIGIT research unit.

The conference aims to connect "research with the design and evaluation of public policies", explained the president of ACCR. The event is aimed at research staff, professionals and decision-makers in administrations, and will also include sessions for early-career researchers. "This 50th edition also provides an opportunity to recognize the achievements of regional science and consider its future challenges", said Méndez-Ortega, who pointed out that one of the highlights of the conference would be a special session marking the 50th anniversary of the European Regional Science Association (ERSA), with contributions from Roberta Capello, the organization's president; Janet Kohlhase, the president of the international association RSAI; and former presidents of AECR.

Among other personalities, Àngels Fitó, Rector of the UOC, and Alícia Romero, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Government of Catalonia, will take part in the welcome address.

Bringing regional experiences into the debate

Conference participants will be taking part in technical visits to the 22@ district or the Port of Barcelona, which will link the discussions to real-world experiences in the region. To that end, the programme will also include a regional policy roundtable moderated by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, with representatives from European institutions and government bodies at Spanish, Catalan, metropolitan and Barcelona municipal levels. The discussion will focus on European development beyond 2027.

The conference has a substantial scientific component, with 300 papers to be presented across 28 special sessions", explained Méndez-Ortega. "Participants will come from Catalonia, elsewhere in Spain and internationally, and we will welcome leading figures in the discipline and representatives of the main regional science associations", he added.

Smart regions

In the fields of smart regions and sustainability, Méndez-Ortega explained that the topics to be addressed at this 50th edition would include "the effects of AI and digitalization on productivity, employment and regional inequalities, as well as the energy transition and urban and rural sustainability". The president of ACCR pointed out that the issues to be debated would underscore an idea he considers highly significant: "A smart region is one that uses knowledge and technology to improve people's lives". This, he explained, is why the conference aims to "bring these opportunities to regions with very different capacities and needs".

The Catalan Association of Regional Science (ACCR), of which Méndez Ortega is president, is the Catalan branch of the Spanish Association of Regional Science (AECR). It brings together research staff and professionals interested in understanding the economic and social dynamics of regions. "Our aim is to promote research and debate on the challenges facing cities and regions, and to bring this knowledge into public decision-making", he concluded.

This conference is part of the UOC's Digital Transition and Sustainability research mission: 

Transformative, impactful research

At the UOC, we see research as a strategic tool to advance towards a future society that is more critical, responsible and nonconformist. With this vision, we conduct applied research that's interdisciplinary and linked to the most important social, technological and educational challenges.

The UOC’s over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups are working in five research units focusing on five missions: lifelong learning; ethical and human-centred technology; digital transition and sustainability; culture for a critical society, and digital health and planetary well-being.

The university's Hubbik platform fosters knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship in the UOC community.

More information: www.uoc.edu/en/research