BOOK TIPS | Diversity for economic development

Diversity is about a variety of ideas, skills, education, ethnicity, occupations, gender, language, culture, technologies and industry structures. In the anthology The Oxford Handbook of Spatial Diversity and Business Economics, several Nordic and international scholars explore how diversity affects economics, innovation and growth – from the firm level to cities, regions and nations.

The book provides a broad overview of the role of diversity in modern economies. The authors emphasize that diversity alone does not guarantee development – it is when different forms of knowledge and skills interrelate and complement each other that real value is created.

The 16 chapters discuss diversity and place development, labor market composition, entrepreneurship, and the relationship between regional diversity, innovation and productivity. The book shows that it is not maximum but optimal diversity that promotes long-term economic development – an insight that can be of great importance for both research and policy.