Pandemic has created drive for new industrial model - research

(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, FEB 14 - The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of some manufacturing sectors for the proper functioning of cities, a type of industry that big urban metropolises need for their primary needs, according to the Mista project, which was conducted as part of the ESPON European cooperation programme specialising in regional analysis. The project, devoted to the study of the relationships between urban areas and industry, uncovered some of the challenges and advantages of local production sectors, observing the impact of COVID-19 on labour, on local industry and on the urban policies in the cities of several EU countries.
    The researchers observed that the pandemic led society to react and reorganize on the basis of distance and isolation.
    Cities sought to welcome a new conception of proximity in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. "There were already signs before the pandemic," explained Valeria Fedeli, a lecturer in urban planning and policy at the Politecnico di Milano university.
    "Just think of the issue of the circular economy, of short supply chains, of industry that builds experiences, that makes the daily functioning of the population's consumption and services possible.
    "The presence of this type of industry, which sought out urban areas even before the pandemic, made the cities more resilient to the health emergency and to its social and economic impact, a little like what happened in 2008 with the financial crisis.
    "It's not the steel-making industry, but industry that has always had more blurred lines in the secondary sector, which produces service, identity and lifestyle activities, rather than simply goods, and the tertiary sector, which depends on advanced forms of industrial activities".
    Furthermore, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of technologies in supporting remote working and distance learning, further integrating these activities in the organization of work, life and consumption.
    The technologies were already available, but they turned out to be crucial in enabling society to adapt to exceptional health measures.
    The post-pandemic model of production will be orientated towards innovation characterized by technology that makes possible the creation of new forms of work and production chains that are integrated and deeply rooted into the local context, as well as the global one, according to the researchers.
    They said that, within this framework, the role of the governance of the metropolitan cities is crucial too, not just to develop industrial policy that is better suited to new demands, but also to support territorial cohesion and reduce growing inequality across society. (ANSA).