Prof. Martin Andersson to Deliver a Lecture at the Faculty of Economic Sciences – 14 November

The lecture entitled „Competitiveness on the shoulders of old and young giants - structural change, digitalization, urbanization and spillovers from established and emerging anchor firms” is organised as part of the IDUB  “Tandems for Excellence” programme. (An abstract of the presentation id provided below).

Prof. Martin Andersson, a researcher from the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH), focuses on topics such as industrial economics, entrepreneurship, urban economics, geography of growth and innovation, and digitalization. More information about the speaker and his latest publications can be found on the following webpage: https://www.bth.se/english/staff-landing-page/martin-andersson.

We cordially invite you to attend the seminar, which will begin at 15:00 in room A409. Those interested in online participation are kindly asked to contact Dr Kateryna Zabarina (Spatial Warsaw Centre) at: O~`{0@D+^Gvg-A3m|KwiLao]#[7yB^l/*u@^nVmJ&e#-\_UR\.

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Anchor firms play a crucial role in attracting businesses, creating employment, supplying skilled human capital, providing a bridge to international networks and trade flows, as well as spurring innovation and entrepreneurship. While the role of anchor firms is established, less is known about the dynamics of anchor firms and how they are shaped by structural shifts in the economy. When existing firms adopt new technologies and change processes, shift business models, or re-organize value chains, their networks and relations to other firms and organizations will also change. Furthermore, a new generation of multinational enterprises – such as Klarna, Spotify, King, iZettle, Kry as well as Oatley and Patagonia in Sweden – differ from previous generations and may affect their potential role as future anchor firms.

If established facts about anchor-tenants are shifting, it will change the conditions for building a competitive economy. Against this backdrop, this lecture discuss the underlying function of anchor firms – both old and new – and how it has changed due to the structural changes related to technological advances, digitization and reshaped global structures.