New Frontiers of Sustainable Structural Transformation and Industrial Policy

In February 2024 the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation (CSST) was established at SOAS University of London thanks to the support of HMG. 

CSST reimagines and promotes structural transformation in developing countries in an age of ecological and social crises through industrial policy that is long-term-oriented and frameshifting. By acting as an action-oriented hub for research, learning, and policy development for the Global South, especially Africa, CSST has conducted path-breaking research on structural transformation, industrial dynamics, and economic diversification strategies and on how to make them environmentally and socially sustainable. 

Over the last two years, CSST has developed partnerships with key organisations, including the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and the Brazilian Development Bank BNDES, and explored new research venues with the support of the Open Society Foundation.

This two-day hybrid conference offers an opportunity to disseminate research findings from a two-year contract research programme with HMG covering six streams of work across Africa: energy transition, critical minerals, infrastructure development, supply chains restructuring, business models, and industrial policy. The workshop will also feature keynotes and panel discussions involving thought leaders in academic research and policy practice, as well as parallel session featuring contributions from researchers working on Africa and other regions of the Global South. 

The aim of the conference is to explore new frontiers of sustainable structural transformation and industrial policy at a time when the demand for these transformations and policies is growing across countries and regions in the Global South.

Speakers include Ha-Joon Chang (SOAS), Carlos Lopes (University of Cape Town), Fiona Tregenna (UNU-MERIT), Antonio Andreoni (SOAS), Robert Wade (LSE), Chris Pitelis (University of Southampton), Pepe Fortunato (UNCTAD), and Richard Kozul-Wright (SOAS), alongside a range of leading scholars and policy experts working on Africa and other regions of the Global South.

Online meeting details

• Meeting ID: 380 304 605 726 616
• Passcode: Hb77zk3f

Header image credit: James Wiseman via Unsplash.