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PublicationArticle (with peer review)

Mission-oriented innovation policy and regional hierarchy: a structural critique

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Abstract

The article examines why mission-oriented innovation policy may reinforce regional imbalances. It identifies three structural trade-offs: focus versus spatial diffusion, acceleration versus lagging regions’ absorptive capacity, and policy directionality versus territorial adaptability. The authors argue that better governance can shift outcomes but cannot fully remove these tensions.

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Details

Author
J. P. Larsson & J. Grip
Publication year
2026
Published in

The Annals of Regional Science, 75(4), Article 131.

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  • Bild av Johan P Larsson, medarbetare på Ratio
    Ph.D.

    Johan P Larsson

    johan.p.larsson@ratio.se

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Article (with peer review)

High-growth firms and their habitats

M. Andersson, J. Karlsson & J. P. Larsson
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Publication year

2026

Published in

Small Business Economics

Abstract

The article examines how the geography of entrepreneurial quality differs from the geography of entrepreneurial quantity. Using longitudinal firm-level data for Swedish municipalities from 2002 to 2022, matched with surveys on local business climate, the authors compare factors associated with start-up rates and firm scaling. Population, human capital and economic structure are associated with both outcomes, while local business climate is a substantially stronger predictor of high-growth firms than of start-ups.

Article (with peer review)

Exposure to remote work and probability of long-distance commuting: evidence from pandemic lockdowns

Johansson, E., Nilsson, P., Larsson, J. P., Naldi, L. & Westlund, H.
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Publication year

2026

Published in

The Annals of Regional Science, 75, article 128

Abstract

This article examines whether exposure to remote work during pandemic lockdowns increased the likelihood of starting a long-distance commute. Using longitudinal Swedish population registers, the authors find that employees without a prior history of long-distance commuting were more likely to work farther from home when their occupations were suitable for remote work. The association was especially pronounced among highly skilled workers in sectors where remote work and long commutes had previously been uncommon. The outcome is the distance between home and workplace, not commuting frequency or travel time.

Article (with peer review)

The Geographic Bargain: Why Circular Economy Policy is Spatially Regressive

Grafström, J. & Larsson, J. P.
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Publication year

2026

Published in

Journal of Circular Economy, 4(2), Article 11

Abstract

Circular economy policy is often designed and assessed as if its effects were the same across regions. This perspective article presents a conceptual framework connecting circular economy policy with the benefits of geographic concentrations of firms, skills and economic activity. Drawing on research on agglomeration economies and regional development, the authors argue that regions vary in their ability to turn circular obligations into productive outcomes. The article contributes to debates on the geography of the green transition and highlights the need for policy that takes local and regional conditions into account.

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