Regions - Page 2 of 22 - CogitoCOGITO

Putting industrial policy in its place

07 April 2026 Dorothée Allain-Dupré - (OECD), Rudiger Ahrend - (OECD) and Andrew Paterson - (OECD)

Reading Time: 4 minutesAfter years in economic exile, industrial policies are back in a big way. Industrial policy interventions increased 20-fold in the past decade, as governments seek to rebuild competitiveness, support emerging technologies and shore up supply chains. This is true in OECD countries, but also in developing countries which use it more intensively. Many of these are adopting a place-based approach: between 2019-22, regional industrial policy support rose by over 50% as a share of GDP in 11 OECD countries. But why?

“How many hours, how many pages?” The hidden cost of cybersecurity for SMEs

27 March 2026 Liina Kamm - (Cybernetica)

Reading Time: 4 minutesFor large companies serving millions of customers, cyber threats are an unfortunate reality. They operate complex digital infrastructures, handle vast amounts of sensitive data, and usually have dedicated cybersecurity teams and resources to manage these risks. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), however, face a very different reality. Many handle sensitive customer information but cannot afford a dedicated cybersecurity specialist. As cyber threats grow more frequent and sophisticated, how can SMEs protect their data without the resources of large companies?

When unemployment rises, people reach for entrepreneurship: how can governments help them?

24 March 2026 Polly Dhaliwal - (Enterprise Nation)

Reading Time: 4 minutesAs the UK labour market adjusts to a new economic reality, recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows unemployment rising to around 5.2%, its highest level since 2021. This shift reflects broader global patterns, where hiring is slowing and many traditional roles are being reshaped by automation and artificial intelligence. While numbers alone do not always capture the real picture, history tells us that periods of disruption have often acted as catalysts for reinvention. That is also true of what we are experiencing now.

The weight of the cloud: the cost of AI for water

22 March 2026 Ander Eizaguirre - (OECD) and Enol Nieto Jiménez

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhen people talk about “the cloud”, it sounds weightless, something almost magical floating in the sky. Except that it isn’t. It lives on the ground, in data centres filled with servers that store, process and move staggering amounts of information every second. These data centres consume energy, occupy land, use metals and minerals from global supply chains – and they need vast amounts of water for cooling.

More than movies: Can film drive regional development?

20 March 2026 Maya Camacho - (OECD) and Thomas Buchwalder - (Cactus Films)

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen fans travel to Northern Ireland to experience landscapes made famous by Game of Thrones, they are doing more than chasing a fantasy, they are fuelling a regional economy. Although the television series concluded in 2019, it still draws around 350 000 visitors each year, representing around one in six visitors from outside Northern Ireland. How can more regions reel in the benefits of movie stardom?

Repensar las realidades rurales: cuáles son los desafíos y dónde se encuentran las oportunidades

10 March 2026 Dorothée Allain-Dupré - (OECD)

Reading Time: 6 minutesEn el imaginario colectivo, las regiones rurales suelen evocar imágenes de abandono y decadencia. Sin embargo, esto está lejos de reflejar la realidad. Las zonas rurales albergan al 30% de la población de la OCDE y, en algunos casos, están creciendo más rápido que las ciudades en términos de desarrollo, productividad e innovación. Entonces, ¿por qué las narrativas obsoletas sobre el declive rural siguen eclipsando sus contribuciones? Ha llegado el momento de desmontar los mitos que frenan a estas regiones.

From “Bonjour” to belonging: Paris’ Hypervoisins are showing the way

17 February 2026 Marion Lagadic - (OECD) and Patrick Bernard - (La République des Hyper Voisins)

Reading Time: 3 minutesHypervoisins demonstrates how community-based initiatives can enhance social cohesion and mitigate loneliness in urban settings. Through structured neighbourhood activities, shared spaces and peer support, residents develop stronger social networks and improve collective wellbeing. Could this model provide a scalable approach for other cities seeking to address social isolation and strengthen local community ties?

COGITO Talks… What in the World is the Tropical Economy?

05 February 2026 Ingo Plöger - (CEAL) and Betty-Ann Bryce - (OECD)

Reading Time: 11 minutesImagine a world where rural and tropical regions aren’t struggling backwaters, but breeding ground for fresh ideas, new jobs and sustainable growth.

In this episode of our #FromtheGroundUp series, Betty-Ann Bryce (OECD) sits down with Ingo Plöger (CEAL), for a conversation to explore how tropical regions, with abundant natural resources, rich biodiversity and favourable climate, can become engines of sustainable growth, innovation and resilient rural development.

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