Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation

Dear Colleagues,

Research on rural development has grown exponentially in recent decades, being one of the most notorious fields in regional science addressed by economists, geographers, demographers and even political scientists. At the same time, depopulation studies have undergone a similar evolution, this being a phenomenon with negative consequences not only in the economic sphere, but also in the social and political sphere, given its importance for the future and survival of the rural environment. In this sense, this Special Issue will explore the link between geography, demography and the economy as a key point in the search for solutions to the challenges faced by the rural world in the next few years. From a general perspective, this Special Issue is open to the presentation of theoretical and / or applied papers, with the goal of bringing together quality works on new forms for promoting rural development, industrialization and outsourcing of rural environments, effects of economic development on rural depopulation, and even institutional aspects that can affect the different dimensions of depopulation. Specifically, the following topics are welcome:

• Research that addresses, from a theoretical point of view, the specificities of business agglomerations in rural areas, their different types, configuration and operation, as well as their competitive implications for the companies that comprise them.
• Studies that empirically study specific rural productive systems that base their competitive advantage on agglomeration economies, especially if they affect business cooperation, product and process innovation linked to this cooperation, and internationalization.
• Works that, focusing on key issues such as innovation, competitiveness and internationalization, constitute a relevant contribution to regional economic and social analysis and, by extension, to its contribution to rural development.
• Cross-sectional studies that show the relevance of rural development, whether they are approached from an economic, geographical, demographical, social or political perspective.
• Studies that, with a historical perspective, analyze development in global sense and its links to the challenges faced by the rural world, either generically or through the study of specific cases.
• Works that address any of the lines previously expressed, or others related to them, with a comparative perspective, either intersectoral or interterritorial.

Dr. Francisco Manuel Parejo-Moruno
Dr. Antonio Miguel Linares Luján
Dr. José Francisco Rangel Preciado
Dr. Esteban Cruz Hidalgo
Guest Editors

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