Germany
Ulrich Hilpert is Professor Emeritus of Comparative Government at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and one of Europe’s leading scholars of the political foundations of innovation, regional development and global production. Trained in political science, political economy and sociology, he has spent decades analysing how states, regions and firms adapt to technological change, how skilled labour and education systems shape competitiveness, and how global value chains are governed. His work has been especially influential in understanding the role of “islands of innovation,” regional innovation systems and metropolitan hubs in restructuring employment and industrial capacity in Europe, North America, and Asian industrial(ising) countries. Hilpert is an elected Member of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK), a Scholar of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and a Senior Fellow of the Hans-Böckler-Foundation. Over his career he has directed numerous international research networks – including the landmark "Archipelago Europe" projects, major programmes on the regionalisation of globalised innovation, diversities of innovation and metropolitan industrial policy, and comparative studies on demographic change and skilled labour supply. He has written more than two dozen books in the field - his recent works, such as "Incomplete Innovative Arrangements", "Diversities of Innovation", the "Handbook on Politics and Technology" and "Regionalisation of Globalised Innovation", are standard references in the fields of comparative political economy, regional studies and technology policy. Alongside his academic work, Hilpert has been a sought-after policy advisor on workforce and regional development, international supply chains and the governance of globalization. He has advised the European Commission, the OECD (TUAC), several German federal ministries – notably in research, labour and regional policy – as well as trade union foundations and regional governments on strategies to secure high-quality employment, upgrade regional economies and manage the unintended consequences of innovation and trade integration. Even as Emeritus, he continues to lead international collaborative research networks and supports policymakers, unions and employers in designing future-oriented labour market, industrial and innovation policies.