Speaker
Description
The European Union’s policy framework increasingly emphasizes the need for a Twin Transition, wherein the Green Transition converges with the Digital Transition to foster sustainable and inclusive development (EC, 2022). However, for the transition to happen, particular attention should be paid to territories where digital infrastructure gaps may impede the benefits of smart solutions (usually peripheral or urban ones) (EC, 2024) and thus hamper competitiveness and economic opportunities in underserved regions (Draghi, 2024; Morris, 2022). Although remote work has long existed, its surge during and after the pandemic has redefined consumption, mobility, and spatial organization, posing both opportunities and challenges for sustainable development and regional inequalities (Braesemann et al., 2021). After the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking evolution altered, meaning that the factors behind teleworking adoption levels should be assessed, particularly at the local level, a scale often neglected, while also searching for territorial typologies inequalities. In this study we aim to analyze these factors within the Portuguese municipalities (local level), comprehending if adoption levels tend to be caused by the economic activities/companies’ endogenous factors (sector of activity, dimension, wages, etc.) or exogenous factors (namely the sociodemographic and territorial, like household composition, migration, digital infrastructure, etc.). However, scarce local-level data hinders the comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon, in the Portuguese case (a paramount example), national statistical systems do not allow monitoring of teleworking dynamics over a long period or on a local scale. To surpass this obstacle, we propose a novel methodological framework to quantify and spatially analyze teleworking dynamics: 1) to develop a methodological approach to understand how data relating to commuting movements collected at census or specific survey moments (municipal level), can quantify the phenomenon and evolution of teleworking; and 2) identify territorial patterns relating to the preponderance of teleworking at the municipal level, as well as its main influencing factors either endogenous (activities) or exogenous (sociodemographic and territorial). For this, an indicator based on the Portuguese Classification of Professions was constructed, which was then utilized as a dependent variable in spatial regression techniques that used the endogenous and exogenous factors as regressors, enabling the exploration of spatial variations on these. The findings reveal that there is a mixture of endogenous and exogenous factors contributing to higher/lower levels of teleworking, with these having different impacts in urban areas and more peripheral or rural areas (like the example of digital infrastructure – a key to teleworking adoption –, or certain economic activities characteristics such as the company dimension). While some factors exert consistent effects across broader regions, others vary significantly locally, proving to have a more localized effect (vs. regional or national), underscoring the differentiated territorial capacities and challenges or opportunities of peripheral territories. Framed within the Digital Transition narrative, this research provides empirical insights into the transformative potential of teleworking for enhancing spatial systems resilience and urban and regional planning adaptive planning strategies, proposing a replicable framework for future analyses that surpass data scarcity. Moreover, these findings are critical for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to leverage Twin Transition for transparent, inclusive, and sustainable urban and regional governance through teleworking, while mitigating territorial inequalities.
References
Braesemann, Fabian, Stephany, Fabian, Teutloff, Ole, Kässi, Otto, Graham, Mark, & Lehdonvirta, Vili (2021). The global polarisation of remote work. PLoS ONE, 17(10), e0274630. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274630
Draghi, Mario (2024) The future of European competitiveness. Part B, In-depth analysis and recommendations. [Online] available at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/ec1409c1-d4b4-4882-8bdd-3519f86bbb92_en?filename=The%20future%20of%20European%20competitiveness_%20In-depth%20analysis%20and%20recommendations_0.pdf
EC (2024) Ninth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://dx.doi.org/10.2776/264833
EC (2022) Towards a green, digital and resilient economy: Our European growth model. COM(2022) 83 final. [Online] available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0083
Morris, Jonathan, Morris, Wyn, and Bowen, Robert (2022) Implications of the digital divide on rural SME resilience, Journal of Rural Studies, 89, pp.369-377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.01.005
| Keywords | Digital Transition; Teleworking; Peripheral territories; Local level; Territorial inequalities |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
