Academic Lectures
REGIO and ERSA Joint Lectures
A new series of academic lectures on key issues in regional and urban policy is being organised by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Regional Science Association (ERSA).
The purpose of this lecture series is to discuss current research and evidence. These exchanges between academics and policymakers take place in the context of the preparation for post-2020 EU Cohesion Policy proposals, which will start soon.
The lectures are open to academics, staff from DG REGIO and other Commission services, other EU institutions as well as from the Member States' representations and regional offices. A video recording of each lecture is also available below.
23 April 2018, The role of EU cities for regional development: opportunities and challenges
Prof. Henri de Groot, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Presentation: 
Prof. Céline Rozenblat, University of Lausanne
Presentation:
19 February 2018, The EU Cohesion Policy: what works and where?
Prof. Riccardo Crescenzi, Professor of Economic Geography at London School of Economics and Political Science
Presentation:
Dr. Lionel Védrine, Research Fellow INRA, UMR CESAER Dijon
Presentation:
Video Recording
Discussion documents:
One or many cohesion policies of the European Union? On the diverging impacts of cohesion policy across member
Cohesion policy incentives for collaborative industrial research. The evaluation of a smart specialisation forerunner programe
6 October 2017, Regional diversification, relatedness and smart specialisation
Prof. Ron Boschma, Professor in Regional Economics at Utrecht University and Professor in Innovation Studies at Lund University
Presentation:
Discussant: Prof. Raquel Ortega-Argilés, the Chair in Regional Economic Development at the University of Birmingham
Presentation:
09 September 2016, Skilled cities, regional disparities and efficient transport
Prof. Jacques-François Thisse, Université Catholique de Louvain and Prof. Stef Proost, KU Leuven
Presentation:
Discussion Paper:
17 June 2016, The Public Animateur: Place-based innovation and the Smart State
Prof. Kevin Morgan, Cardiff University, Special Adviser to Commissioner Creţu
Presentation: 
Video Recording (1/2)
Discussant: Dr. Michaela Trippl, Lund University
Presentation:
Video Recording (2/2)
8 April 2016, Territorial scenarios for Europe: future alternative growth strategies
Prof. Roberta Capello, Politechnico di Milano
Presentation:
Q&A; session (MP3)
Video Recording
4 March 2016, Smart specialisation strategies in the EU and their policy impact
Prof. Dominique Foray, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Presentation:
Video Recording (1/2)
Discussant: Prof. Frank van Oort, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Presentation:
Video Recording (2/2)
11 December 2015, EU Cohesion Policy and Europe’s Shifting Economic Landscape
Prof. Philip McCann, University of Groningen, Special Adviser to EU Commissioner for Regional Policy
Presentation:
Video Recording (1/2)
Discussant: Prof. Gunther Maier, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Presentation:
Video Recording (2/2)
13 November 2015, The Impact of Cohesion Policy on "old" and "new" Member States
Prof. John Bachtler, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Presentation:
Video Recording (1/3)
Prof. Grzegorz Gorzelak, University of Warsaw
Presentation:
Video Recording (2/3)
Discussant: Prof. Daniela Constantin, Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest