Industry, Land, Environment

The Applied Economic Studies Research Group based at DICAM, focuses on industrial, territorial, and environmental dynamics, adopting an interdisciplinary and comparative approach that is always grounded in real-world analysis and attentive to policy implications.

The group’s research activities range from the study of firms and the diversity of production organization models to the analysis of local systems, production networks, industrial districts, and global value chains.

Central to its work is the investigation of innovation, internationalization, and structural change processes, observed both in highly industrialized countries and in emerging economies. Within this framework, particular attention is given to the analysis of industrial policies, innovation, and economic and social development.

The group promotes both theoretical and empirical analysis aimed at identifying insights useful for the design of policies related to industry, the environment, and territory. Its methodological approach values theoretical pluralism, comparative empirical analysis, and interdisciplinarity.

The research activities of the Group are part of the broader initiatives promoted by the Italy’s University Center for Applied Economic Studies - CiMET

ERC Sectors

• SH1_1 Macroeconomics, growth, business cycles
• SH1_3 Econometrics, statistical methods
• SH1_5 Competitiveness, innovation, research and development
• SH1_7 Organization studies, strategy
• SH1_9 Public administration, public economics
• SH1_11 International trade, economic geography
• SH2_1 Social structure, inequalities, social mobility
• SH3_1 Environment and sustainability
• SH3_4 Geographical information systems, cartography
• SH3_5 Human and social geography
• SH3_8 Urbanization and urban planning, cities

Collaborations

• CiMET - Centro Universitario Nazionale di Economia Applicata
• l’industria – Rivista di Economia e Politica industriale, il Mulino
• University of Cambridge (UK), Babbage Policy Network
• Berkeley University of California (USA)
• South China University of Technology (China)
• South China Normal University (China)
• IIPPE - International Initiative for promoting Political economy
• SIEPI - Società italiana di Economia e politica industriale (Italy)
• Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione internazionale

Funded research projects (active and recent)

• REMAKING (REmote-working Multiple impacts in the Age of disruptions: socioeconomic transformations, territorial rethinKING, and policy actions), Horizon Europe (Grant agreement ID: 101132685), coordinated by Marco R. Di Tommaso.
  Project duration: 01/02/2024 - 31/07/2027.
  Collaboration with: Trinity College Dublin, Prague Univesity of Economic And Business, Paris School of Business, Leibniz-Institute For Society And Space Fur Raumbezogene Sozialforschung, University Of Kyiv, CoLABOR - Associacao Laboratorio Colaborativopara O Trabalho, Emprego E Protecao Social, European Creative Hubs Networkcreative Hubs Network,   Elhuyar Fundazioa, Visionary Analytics 
  More info

• CO2Water (Stochastic Amplification of Climate Change into Floods and Droghts), promoted by the Italian Science Fund (FIS) 2021.
  Project duration: 1/5/2024 – 30/4/2029
  More info

• POLEI-A2 (Traiettorie di politica estera e di politica industriale in Asia Centrale. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan e il caso della Valle del Fergana) funded by Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, 2025-26, coordinated by Marco R. Di Tommaso.
  Project duration: 2025-2027

• POLEI-A (Foreign and Industrial Policy Trajectories in Central Asia: A Feasibility Analysis for the Development of Sectoral Partnerships within the Framework of the Middle Corridor Initiative), funded by Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, 2024-25, coordinated by Marco R. Di Tommaso.
  Project duration: 2024-2025

• “GREEN-LAB” (Laboratorio di ricerca applicata per lo studio delle dinamiche e delle politiche per la transizione energetica), promoted by ENEL spa e FONDAZIONE CENTRO STUDI, in collaboration with CiMET - Centro Universitario Nazionale di Economia applicata.
  Project duration: 2023-2024

• ER-ISP (Emilia-Romagna International School of Policy), finanziato dalla Regione Emilia-Romagna, 2019-23, coordinated by Marco R. Di Tommaso. In collaboration with SOAS University of London (UK) / GoldSmiths University of London (UK) / UCLA - University of California Los Angeles (US) / South China Normal University (CN) / South China University of Technology (CN) / Addis Ababa University (ET) / University of Johannesburg (ZA) / Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (BR) / Trinity College Dublin (IE), Università di Ferrara, CiMET - Centro Universitario Nazionale di Economia applicata.
  Project duration: 2019-2023

• IGM (Industrie, governi, mercati: analisi e scenari contemporanei), promoted by CGIL - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, coordinated by Marco R. Di Tommaso
  Project duration: 2023-2024

• c.REM (Research and Meeting on Industrial policy and economic development), in collaboration with Banca d’Italia e CiMET - Centro Universitario Nazionale di Economia applicata, coordinated by Marco R. Di Tommaso
  Project duration: 2019-2020