The plenary speakers for the 2026 RSA Annual Conference have now been announced, under the conference theme of ‘Regions as Arenas in a Changing World.’
The Opening Plenary ‘Regions as Arenas in a Changing World: Rethinking Spatial Theories‘ will kick things off with a rethink of spatial theories in an era shaped by AI, climate urgency, geopolitical shifts, and contested knowledge. Leading scholars Simona Iammarino (Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), Italy ), Dominique Foray (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, France), and Cecilia Malmström (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) will debate whether regions still matter and how regional thinking must evolve.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Area Development and Policy Annual Lecture spotlights ‘An Integrated Place-based Approach to Societal Challenges‘. Ron Boschma (Utrecht University, The Netherlands and UiS Business School of Stavanger University, Norway) headlines the session, joined by discussants John Harrison (Loughborough University, UK) and Simona Iammarino, for a discussion on competitiveness, green transition, and regional cohesion.
On Wednesday, Plenary 3 examines ‘The Long Shadows of History – Can Regions Escape their Past?‘ Speakers including Mark Tewdwr-Jones (University College London, UK), Emma Ormerod (Newcastle University, UK), Tom Brökel (University of Stavanger, Norway), and Hans Westlund (Jönköping International Business School, Sweden) will explore how regions balance path dependency with innovation, and whether policy can truly change trajectories.
The conference closes with the Regional Studies Annual Lecture, ‘Broadening Regional Horizons: Regional Studies, Policy and Development in an Age of Uncertainty‘. Joan Fitzgerald (Northeast University, USA) and Amy Glasmeier (MIT, USA), with discussants Jennifer Clark (The Ohio State University, USA) and John Harrison, will reflect on lessons, collaborations, and future regional horizons.
With four compelling plenaries running from 16–18 June 2026, RSA 2026 promises to be a must-attend event.