Marie Ferru (p), Adrien Sonnet, Elodie Texier (p), Emmanuel Nadaud, Brice Navereau, Jean Victor Maublanc

Jolita Greblikaitė

see attached

Mikael Akimowicz (p), Geoffroy Labrouche, Jean-Luc Gui Gui

Marie Ferru

In face of increasing territorial inequalities, and in a political context characterized by regional development policies centered on metropolitan areas, we advocate for territorialized development dynamics based on rural empowerment. In rural areas, supporting the viability of the agricultural sectoral is an opportunity for the circularization of local economies. Despite the constraints resulting from low population densities and long distances to urban centers, food processing often requires close geographic and social proximity to agricultural production areas. This article focuses on the circularization opportunities offered by an emerging microbrewery sector in order to identify the resources likely to facilitate the circularization processes. We mobilize a conceptual framework structured by the community capitals framework to identify specific territorial resources, the concept of capacitating environments to identify specific territorial resources triggering empowerment dynamics, and the 7 C's concept which focuses specifically on the elements facilitating circularization dynamics. A thematic analysis of semi-directive interviews conducted with Gers microbreweries analyzed their experiences and perceptions of the obstacles and opportunities for structuring a circular microbrewery sector in the Gers department. The results show that while many resources are available in the Gers department to support the microbrewery sector, their activation by consular and public bodies such as the Chamber of Agriculture and local higher education institutions is an asset. They also demonstrate that the available capital in the area constitutes a potential for the development of a circularized entrepreneurial ecosystem centered around beer production. The development of this microbrewery sector represents a means of generating and anchoring value in the territory, thereby contributing to its empowerment.

Jonna Rickardsson (p), Gabriel Rodríguez-Puello

Stefan Nikolic

In this paper, we use geo-coded register data on mines and all Swedish inhabitants to investigate the effects of the mining boom on labor market outcomes, such as income and employment. We also examine how these effects propagate across space and time. In the resource economics literature, the mining shock analyzed is assumed exogenous because it was generated mainly by demand shifts and not supply shifts. By employing a difference-in-difference setup, and treating the mining boom in 2004 as an exogenous shock, we exploit two sources of variation: temporal (the global mining price shock) and spatial (individuals' distance to mines providing a source of heterogenous exposure). In addition, as the effect may vary significantly depending on different individual and regional characteristics, for example by economic sectors and individual education, we run various heterogeneity analyses. We find the mining boom improved the labor market conditions of individuals located close to the mines. These effects propagate across space and over time. Most previous literature on the topic examines aggregate outcomes and focuses on the energy sector and the fracking boom. This spatial analysis contributes to the literature and provides evidence to policymakers about the extent of the effects of the income shock.

Stefan Nikolic (p), Magnus Neubert

Jonna Rickardsson

Railways are considered to be locomotives of industrialization, urbanization, and economic development. Most of the quantitative studies supporting this view rely on evidence from developed countries, whereas studies for developing colonial economies are rare and suffer from low data quality. In this paper, we study the economic effects of railways in Bosnia-Hercegovina under Habsburg colonial institutions and explore related mechanisms. We use detailed census data to measure local structural change. Our novel dataset consistently tracks agrarian and non-agrarian population in over 4,200 settlements in 1885, 1895, and 1910. We have georeferenced the settlements and railways using historical maps. Applying the inconsequential units approach, with least cost paths as the instrumental variable, we estimate the causal effect of railway access on structural change. We find that, under Habsburg colonial rule, railways had heterogenous effects on structural change. First, the extension of the imperial normal-gauge network reversed structural change by exposing the domestic proto-industry to import competition. Second, narrow-gauge railways (that were incompatible with the imperial network) led to a temporarily positive effect due to railway construction activity. The positive effect of narrow-gauge railways on structural change endured only in settlements endowed with sufficient human capital and state capacity. Our findings suggest that investments in transport infrastructure are by no means a silver bullet for economic development, but rather a double-edged sword depending on the institutional setting.

Jolita Greblikaitė (p), Rolandas Rakstys

Mikael Akimowicz

Berry market is growing recent years. Although strong competition comes from South American countries and China as European countries’ berry farmers must find solutions how to stay competitive. The aim of the research is to analyse the possibility of creation and development of high-added value bio- products from berry residue (mostly seeds) in berry farms. Special focus in the research is developed to technological and managerial combination of efforts for berry seeds use for innovative high-added value bioproducts production in farms including different managerial solutions for production and commercialization. Farms must seek to implement bioeconomy business models and to strive implement circularity to be sustainable and competitive. Technological research and solutions allow to find out the most suitable and efficient prototypes from different berries’ residue (mostly seeds) after juice or puree is produced. The huge amount of seeds’ residue is a source especially full of various components for pharmaceutical and beauty industries and innovative urban food. As economic calculations provide created economic high-added value farmers must apply innovative management solutions for finding market and potential consumers for berry bioproducts such as pomace or seeds oil extracted applying efficient methods. Consumer attitudes allow to rethink marketing strategies for healthy bio-products and their presentation to the market.