Date and time
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Session proposal submission deadline: CLOSED
- Conference Bursary application: CLOSED
- Early Career Plenary Speaker Call: CLOSED
- Submitted Sessions Abstracts Deadline: 12th February 2026
- General Abstract submission deadline: 19th February 2026
- Abstract Acceptance Confirmation: 5th March 2026
- Earlybird registration open: 20th February 2026
- Normal registration open: 1st April 2026
- Registration deadline for paper presenters, panel contributors and discussants: 19th May 2026
The Regional Studies Association’s Annual Conference 2026 is set to take place in partnership with the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This four-day event will bring together leading academics, policymakers, and researchers to share insights, perspectives, and the latest findings in regional studies, economic development, policy, and planning. With participants from around 55 countries, the conference will welcome both seasoned experts and emerging scholars to the stunning city of Gothenburg.
Attendees can look forward to an exciting programme featuring 700+ presentations, keynote speeches from leading voices in the field, and a diverse range of special sessions, workshops, and professional development opportunities. There will also be ample networking moments, walking tours, field trips, and a vibrant social programme, including the conference dinner, welcome reception, partner events, exhibitor showcases, and post-conference tours to discover more of Gothenburg and Sweden.
Call for abstracts
Many things that we have held for true in the spatially-minded disciplines are being questioned by new developments in technology, politics and the economy. The breakthrough of AI changes the balance between humankind and machines. We face unprecedented environmental challenges. Globalization seems to be stalling, and economic policies are taking a more protectionist turn. Location factors that we thought had largely passed on to unimportance in the learning economy, such as electricity or natural resources, are becoming strategic location factors. Also, we are living in times where scientific truths, and the virtues of sensible and balanced discussions, are questioned in ways that have been unheard of for long.
Many of these changes, and their implications, are indeed geographical by nature. The region is the daily arena for most people, business and organizations. Scholars and policy makers need new or revised geographical theories and deepened empirical analyses to navigate in an increasingly uneasy world. Also, there is a need to discuss the broader role of the social sciences in a public debate governed by the logics of social media.
We invite scholars and stakeholders to come together in Gothenburg to engage in a dialogue and exchange insights around how theories, tools and empirical information about regions and the interdependence between regions could be improved to navigate the world, and maybe, contribute to making it better. Also, since the challenges faced by humankind are not delineated by academic disciplines, we invite scholars from a broad range of disciplines to share their thoughts on the geographies of our changing world.
Conference themes
| Agglomeration, Clusters, and Externalities | AI and Big Data in Regional Studies |
| Circular Economy, Green and Just Transitions | Demography, Labour Markets, and Migration |
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation Systems | Financing Regional Development and Change |
| Gender, Diversity, and Equity in Regional Development | Regional Governance, Policies, and Institutional Change |
| Global Value Chains and International Business | Peripheral and Cross-border Regions |
| Populism, Nationalism, and Social Change | Regional Development in the Global South |
| Regional Inequalities and EU Cohesion Policy | Regional Innovation and Technological Change |
| Spatial Economy, Infrastructure and Housing |
Session proposals: We invite scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to submit session proposals for inclusion in the upcoming conference programme. We offer two types of Sessions:
- Open Session – Submission for open sessions is now closed.
- Closed Session – the session organiser proposes the complete session including all speakers. Other delegates may not submit their abstracts for this session. Please note that all speakers need to register to be able to present.
We particularly welcome sessions that are interdisciplinary, internationally collaborative, and align with the conference’s themes. This is a great opportunity to bring together voices around a shared topic and foster meaningful dialogue. If you wish to submit a closed session please email lesa.reynolds@regionalstudies.org
Open sessions that have been submitted which may be a good fit for your abstract: https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/2026-rsa-annual-submitted-sessions/#!.
Closed sessions that you may wish to attend and join the discussion: https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/2026-rsa-annual-closed-sessions/
Abstract Submission Details: Please submit your abstract (up to 500 words and text only) through the RSA conference portal at: https://lounge.regionalstudies.org/Meetings/Meeting?ID=565
We welcome papers from all – academics, researchers, students, and those working in policy and practice. The event is inclusive and offers networking opportunities for all in our field. The organisers welcome proposals for innovative forms of networking and collaboration.
Academic Organisers
Martin Henning, Roman Martin, Hanna Martin and Sarah Franz
Centre for Regional Analysis (CRA), School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Plenary Sessions
Many long-held assumptions in spatial disciplines are being unsettled by technological, political, and economic change. AI reshapes the balance between humans and machines, environmental challenges intensify, globalisation slows, and protectionism rises. Once-marginal location factors such as energy and natural resources regain strategic importance, while even the authority of science is increasingly contested. Against this backdrop, are regions still meaningful arenas for analysis and policy? This plenary invites leading scholars to debate the role of regions in a changing world and the future of spatial theories.
Confirmed Speakers:
Simona Iammarino, GSSI, Italy
Dominique Foray, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, France
Cecilia Malmström, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Early Career Plenary speaker tbc
Chair: Sarah Franz, University of Gothenburg
This session, organized by the editorial board of the journal Area Development and Policy, aims to critically engage with the urgent need for integrative frameworks to address interconnected societal challenges such as competitiveness, digital transformation, sovereignty, green transition, and inclusive growth. Building on recent advances in regional studies and economic geography, the session will explore how a regional capabilities perspective can inform place-sensitive strategies and policy mixes that respond to territorial/geographical heterogeneity. This geographically sensitive framework will be useful to promote competitiveness, strengthen technological sovereignty, facilitate the green transition, and achieve regional cohesion.
The session will feature Prof. Ron Boschma as the keynote speaker. His contribution will set the foundation for a panel discussion with Prof John Harrison and Prof Simona Iammarino, leading scholars in urban and regional studies and economic geography, to debate the theoretical, empirical, and practical implications of adopting an integrated, place-based framework. Speakers will examine how such an approach can help exploit synergies between multiple societal goals, and what this means for the future of regional development policy.
Speaker:
Ron Boschma is full professor in Regional Economics at Utrecht University, and Professor 2 at UiS Business School of Stavanger University. Boschma has been full professor in Innovation Studies at Lund University where he was also director of the Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy (CIRCLE). He is member of the Executive Board of the International Regional Studies Association since 2015. Boschma has published on Evolutionary Economic Geography, the spatial evolution of industries, geography of innovation, regional resilience, regional diversification, and Smart Specialization policy. Boschma has been ranked by Thomson Reuters among the top 1% of cited researchers worldwide in all scientific fields every year since 2014.
Discussants
John Harrison, Professor of Urban and Regional Studies at Loughborough University in the UK, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Regional Studies. John’s research interests lie within the broad scope of political-economic geography, with a specific focus on the planning and governance of cities and regions. More specifically, his work centers around regions and regional theory, urban and regional governance, and global urban studies.
Simona Iammarino, Professor of Applied Economics at Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) in Italy and co-editor of the Journal of Economic Geography. She has been member of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) Executive Group and Board, and Chair of the RSA Journal Committee (2017-2025).
Her main expertise lies in: Multinational corporations, globalisation and local economic development; Economic geography of innovation and technological change; Regional systems of innovation; Regional and local economic development and policy.
Organizer(s):
Shenjing HE, University of Hong Kong, China sjhe@hku.hk
LIU Weidong, IGSNRR, Chinese Academy of Sciences liuwd@igsnrr.ac.cn
Junxi QIAN, University of Hong Kong, China jxqian@hku.hk
Qiong HE, University of Hong Kong, China, qionghe@hku.hk
Regional development is always a struggle between the legacies of the past and the creation of new trajectories between path dependency and retention on the one hand, and innovation and change agency on the other. But which of these gains the upper hand, and under what conditions? And can regional policy actually make a difference?
Confirmed Speakers:
Mark Tewdwr-Jones, University College London, UK
Emma Ormerod, Newcastle University, UK
Tom Brökel, University of Stavanger, Norway
Hans Westlund, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden
Chair: Martin Henning, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
We live in a time of profound uncertainty where geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, climate challenges, social and cultural transformations are reshaping the foundations of regional development. Yet uncertainty also opens space for creativity, collaboration, and bold new thinking. In bringing together a panel of North American researchers, this years closing plenary and 2026 Regional Studies Annual Lecture invites us to reflect on what we have learned, can learn, and will learn from engaging more closely with regional issues and regional research(ers) in North America. Extending an invitation for greater engagement, the panel will encourage the audience to compare experiences, challenge assumptions, and co-create ideas for delivering brighter regional futures.
Confirmed Speakers:
Joan Fitzgerald, Northeast University, USA
Amy Glasmeier, MIT, USA
Discussants/Chairs
Jennifer Clark, The Ohio State University, USA
John Harrison, Loughborough University, UK
Conference Registration Fees
In most cases, the cost of becoming a member and then registering at the member conference rate is lower than paying the non-member conference rate. We encourage prospective attendees to review both options, as joining first can offer immediate savings in addition to the ongoing benefits of membership. You can find out more about RSA membership and Country Bands here: https://www.regionalstudies.org/about/memberships/
| Early Bird Fees – available until 30th March 2026 | ||||
| Category/Band | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D |
| Individual/Corporate | £424 | £397 | £324 | £255 |
| Early Career/Retired/Emeritus/Honorary | £360 | £313 | £250 | £204 |
| Student | £334 | £324 | £224 | £182 |
| Non-member Band A & B | £551 | £551 | N/A | N/A |
| Non-member Band C & D | N/A | N/A | £350 | £350 |
| Normal Fees – from 1st April 2026 | ||||
| Category/Band | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D |
| Individual/Corporate | £474 | £447 | £374 | £305 |
| Early Career/Retired/Emeritus/Honorary | £410 | £363 | £300 | £254 |
| Student | £384 | £374 | £274 | £232 |
| Non-member Band A & B | £599 | £599 | N/A | N/A |
| Non-member Band C & D | N/A | N/A | £400 | £400 |