Towards studying the developmental consequences of regional industrial path development

A major reason for the great interest in regional industrial path development (RIPD) is the associated hopes for positive regional development outcomes. However, up to now we know surprisingly little about the often mixed economic, social and ecological effects of RIPD for regions. Existing studies on RIPD tend not to link to these outcomes. This special collection aims to improve our understanding of the conditions under which RIPD contributes to determining what kind of regional development, and for whom. This introductory paper provides impulses how future research can link RIPD dynamics to its broader developmental outcomes and poses urgent open questions.