Prof. Robert Hassink (Kiel University)

Robert Hassink jest profesorem geografii ekonomicznej na Kiel University w Niemczech oraz profesorem wizytującym na Newcastle University w Wielkiej Brytanii. Po uzyskaniu doktoratu w 1992 roku na Utrecht University pracował jako pracownik naukowy, konsultant i profesor w wielu instytutach badawczych oraz na uniwersytetach w Holandii, Niemczech, Norwegii i Korei Południowej. Na przestrzeni lat realizował różnorodne projekty badawcze dotyczące starych regionów przemysłowych, klastrów, regionalnej polityki innowacyjnej oraz platform cyfrowych w Europie i Azji Wschodniej, a także teorii i paradygmatów geografii ekonomicznej. Jest redaktorem naczelnym czasopisma „Progress in Economic Geography” oraz członkiem rady redakcyjnej „Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society”.

Title of the presentation:

The Defence Industry and its Economic Geographies

Recent geopolitical tensions and conflicts, related to increasing nationalism have had a profound effect on defence spending. Between 2015 and 2024 global defence expenditures increased by 37% (Liang et al., 2025). In fact, from 2023 to 2024, we saw the steepest increase since the end of the Cold War (SIPRI, 2025), with worldwide increase of 9.4% (Liang et al., 2025). This trend brings the defence industry and its economic geographies back on the research agenda, after it received much attention during the Cold War. After the Cold War until recently, the focus was strongly on defence conversion and dual use technologies and their geographies. Against this background, this keynote speech aims at reviewing the economic geographies of the defence industry during these three periods, particularly focusing on the structure and spatial distribution of defence expenditures, the dependence of regional economies and relatedly military industrial complexes on these expenditures, the changing character of the defence industries and its economic geographical consequences, and the role of defence policy in boosting some regional economies. Moreover, an agenda will be presented pointing at potential future research avenues on the defence industry and its economic geographies.