ISABEL at the ERSA Annual Conference 2026

September 25, 2026

ISABEL Organises a Special Session at the ERSA Annual Conference 2026

The ISABEL project participated in the European Regional Science Association (ERSA) Annual Conference 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria, organising a dedicated special session entitled “Uneven Geographies of Job Creation and Job Destruction in the Context of Green and Digital Transitions.”

The special session was organised across two slots and featured six scientific presentations, four of which presented research and evidence emerging from the ISABEL project. The session provided an opportunity to explore the different ways in which the green and digital transitions are reshaping employment, skills and regional labour markets across Europe.

ISABEL’s Scientific Coordinator, Nikos Kapitsinis, presented evidence on job creation and job destruction across European regions and industries between 2011 and 2023, examining emerging patterns and the implications of the twin transitions for regional labour market transformation.

Maria Adamakou presented research on “Macro Drivers of Regional Labour Market Transformation in the Twin Transitions: Evidence and Policy Implications,” exploring the broader factors shaping labour market transformation and their implications for policy.

Despoina Kanteler focused on the role of Living Labs as instruments for policy co-creation, highlighting their potential to bring together research and regional stakeholders in addressing labour market transitions.

Finally, Lefteris Topaloglou presented evidence from the Western Macedonia Living Lab, examining approaches to managing labour market transformation in a region undergoing the transition away from coal.

Through the special session, ISABEL brought together quantitative analysis, regional evidence and participatory approaches to examine labour market transformation from complementary perspectives. The discussions also provided an important opportunity for scientific exchange and for sharing the project’s emerging findings with the wider regional science community.

ISABEL will continue to develop this research as the project progresses, generating further evidence on the territorial impacts of the green and digital transitions and their implications for jobs, skills and policy.