ESSPIN - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND SPATIAL INEQUALITIES IN EUROPE IN THE ERA OF GLOBAL MEGA-TRENDS

HORIZON EUROPE “ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND SPATIAL INEQUALITIES IN EUROPE IN THE ERA OF GLOBAL MEGA-TRENDS” (ESSPIN) PROJECT
Understanding inequalities and designing public policies to address them.
The ESSPIN Project explores the nexus between social, economic and spatial inequalities in Europe. The project examines the typology, nature and evolution of socio-economic inequalities and aims to assess the mix of public policies designed to address them, in light of emerging mega-trends and global challenges.
The project is funded under the Horizon Europe Research Programme and involves a multi- and inter-disciplinary consortium of 13 European Universities from 10 different EU countries and the UK with an overall budget of 3 million euros.
Old and new drivers of change might run against balanced growth and socio-spatial resilience. The ESSPIN project explores policy responses, offering new evidence able to make them more inclusive and effective. The project takes a holistic and integrated approach to detect, model and map the interdependences among various drivers of inequality, opportunities and outcomes, delivering well-tailored policy recommendations.
The LSE Unit – led by Prof Riccardo Crescenzi and Prof Simona Iammarino – will coordinate the activities of Work Package 3 (WP3) focusing on the “The interconnections of in-market drivers of inequality with other processes and their impact across social groups and spatial scales.” WP3 looks at the effects of major shifts in institutions, market structures, technologies and globalization (with special reference to trade and FDI) on inequalities over different social and spatial scales. WP3 will examine their independent, but also combined effects on economic, social and spatial inequalities. The analysis will relate drivers to outcomes, but also different types of inequalities with each other. Inequalities in income levels, living conditions, or poverty, will be related to inequalities in perceptions, gender, race, or ethnic background over different social and spatial contexts.
The LSE Unit will do new research – in collaboration with other partners – in a number of key area. First, technological transformations and their effects on regional disparities, the urban-rural divide and local labour markets will be explored. Second, the LSE – with other partners – will also look at the effects of globalization on social and spatial inequalities under different regimes with respect to technology creation, innovation and institutions. Third, the effects of GVCs and FDI on firms, workers and places will be explored with special reference to the role of local agglomeration, digital and green transitions, public policies and institutions. In addition, special attention will be devoted to the impact of superstar firms on economic, social and spatial inequalities. Finally, the LSE will evaluate the effectiveness of public policies for recovery and resilience in the era of pandemic and digital and green transitions.