People-centred policies for a just transition (digital, green and skills)

ABSTRACT

The paper contributes to the current debate on just transitions which is exploring what factors and conditions can lead to a twin transition that can also achieve an equitable redistribution of the outputs. The paper draws on the theories of justice, by bringing together three dimensions of justice: distributive, procedural and substantive justice. We apply this framework to explain the socio-economic impact of technology-pushed structural change on the future of work. We define just transition as a triple transition that requires digital and green shifts and crucially, a competence and skill transition that transversally cuts across industries, jobs and professions. The paper analyses the case of a specific region, Emilia Romagna in Italy, which has implemented, particularly since 2010, an original holistic approach to industrial development policy, comprising social and education policies. We conclude that within a national education framework tasked with pivoting the mix of necessary basic knowledge, regions have an important role to play by designing and implementing place-based education and training initiatives that are specific to the regional socio-economic characteristics.

KEYWORDS:

• Twin transition
• industrial development policy
• holistic approach
• education and social policies
• just transition

JEL:

• R11
• O25
• D63
• I25

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_23_4426 (accessed on 29/10/2023).

2 The EPSR was adopted in 2017 and sets out 20 principles in three main areas: (1) equal opportunities and access to the labour market (2) fair working conditions and (3) social protection and inclusion.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patrizio Bianchi

Patrizio Bianchi is UNESCO Chair of Education, Growth and Equality and Emeritus Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Ferrara (Italy). He held prestigious positions including Minister for Education of the Italian Government.

Lisa De Propris

Lisa De Propris is a Professor of Regional Economic Development at the University of Birmingham. She published extensively on innovation, and technological change; innovation systems, clusters, and industrial districts; regional development and innovation and industrial policies.

Sandrine Labory

Sandrine Labory is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Ferrara (Italy). Her scholarly research is focused on industrial economics and policy, structural changes and industrial development. She is Chair of the Regional Studies Association’s foundation RSA Europe.