by Simon Baumgartinger-Seiringer, Balazs Pager and Michaela Trippl

This article focuses on regions in industrial transitions (RITs) in the context of climate change mitigation and their varying paths towards sustainability, drawing on rich data from 11 regions in 9 countries in the Danube area in Europe. Inspired by recent work on green regional vulnerability, challenge-oriented regional innovation systems and transformative resilience, the article conceptualizes regional industrial transition pathways as the outcome of a complex interplay between distinct geographies of (1) vulnerability to, (2) preparedness for, and (3) responsiveness to transition pressures. Empirically, the article employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative analyses of regional structural conditions (focusing on vulnerability and preparedness) with qualitative investigations of agency of regional and non-regional actors (focusing on responsiveness). In doing so, the article unravels diverse pathways that regions adopt to navigate industrial transitions. We contend that these insights hold important implications for the design of tailor-made regional industrial transition strategies.

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Cite as: Baumgartinger-Seiringer, S., Pager, B. and Trippl, M. (2024) Regions in industrial transitions: exploring the uneven geographies of vulnerability, preparedness and responsiveness. GEIST – Geography of Innovation and Sustainability Transitions, 2024(03), GEIST Working Paper series.