Objectives & theme of the conference

The conference will explore the process of ‘shifting wealth’ or the increasing economic weight of emerging and transition economies in the world economy. The initial opening of China and India coupled with the opening of the former socialist countries in the 1990s led to the integration of 40% of the global labour force into the world economy, with large scale effects in terms of market integration, catching up and income distribution (shifting wealth I). But today, there is some uncertainty regarding whether this process will continue, ie whether emerging and transition economies will continue their technological upgrade and move from efficiency to innovation driven growth. Whether we will observe ‘Shifting Wealth II’ will ultimately depend on whether productivity growth of emerging and transition economies will be associated with further technology upgrading. The second annual conference of the UCL Centre for Comparative Study of the Emerging Economies aims to explore the issue of shifting wealth through the perspective of technology upgrading which is defined as increasing productivity based on the improved technology capabilities.

Main areas

• Quantitative and new metrics based studies of different dimensions of technology upgrading.

We welcome contributions using either new or standard indicators or metrics of relevance for technology upgrading of emerging and transition economies.

• Case studies of technology upgrading at firm and industry level

We welcome contributions of various methodological approaches that bring new evidence on either industry or firm level technology upgrading in emerging and transition economies.

• Technology upgrading through global value chains

Papers are invited bringing new insights on how integration via GVC and FDI affects productivity and technology upgrading in emerging and transition economies.

Invited speakers

• Keun Lee, Professor of Economics, Seoul National University
• Mariana Mazzucato, Professor, University College London
• Daniele Archibugi, Professor at Birbeck College University of London and Italian National Research Council, Rome 
• Suma Athreye, Professor of Technology Strategy, Essex University
• Gabriela Dutrenit, Professor, Autonomous Metropolitan Universiy, México, D.F.
• Raphael Kaplinsky, Honorary Professorial Fellow, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex
• Maria Savona, Professor, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex
• Jae –Yong Choung, Professor, School of Business and Technology Management, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon
• Rajah Rasiah, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya (tbc)

Invited presenters

• Dr Andrea Salavetz, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of World Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest
• Dr Ksenia Gonchar, Leading Research Fellow, Institute for Industrial and Market Studies, Higher School of Economics, Moscow
• Dr Michiko Iizuka, Researcher, UNU – MERIT, Maastricht University
• Dr Hye-Ran, Senior Research Fellow, Daejon Sejong Research Institute, Korea
• Dr Bjoern Jindra, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School
• Dr Zoran Aralica, Senior Research Fellow, Economic Institute Zagreb, Croatia
• Dr Fadil Sahiti, Assistant Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo
• Dr Iciar Domínguez Lacasa, University of Bremen

Important dates

Guidelines

Extended abstracts should not be longer than 300 words, and summarise the aim of the paper, the methodology applied and (preliminary) findings.

A full version (no more than 1,200 words) of the papers accepted for presentation should be submitted by the 10^th of May, for circulation to session chairs, and to be considered for publication in one of the conference special issue (see publishing opportunities below).

Please send your submissions by email to: ssees-events@ucl.ac.uk, (indicating “CCSEE conference” in the subject line)

Publishing opportunities

Submissions presented at the conference will be considered for publication in two special issues related to the conference theme scheduled for publication in 2018.

• Technological Forecasting and Social Change invites submission for a special issue on “Exploring Technology Upgrading of Emerging and Transition Economies: From ‘Shifting Wealth I’ to ‘Shifting Wealth II’?”
• The International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development invites submissions for a special issue on “Technological Upgrading and Innovation in Emerging Economies”

Local Organising Committee

• Slavo Radosevic
• Elodie Douarin
• Randolph Bruno
• Julia Korosteleva
• Silvia dal Bianco

For pdf version of this call click here

For further information please check the conference website and/or contact: s.radosevic@ucl.ac.uk