The thirteenth EPRC webinar of 2021, and the first of this Autumn/Winter semester, was held October 20th (11:00 – 12:00 UK) over Zoom. Julia Bachtrögler-Unger, Economist at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), presented on the topic “Measuring the effectiveness of EU Cohesion Policy through the use of satellite data”.
Bachtrögler-Unger argued for researching the impact of different Cohesion Policy funding instruments in previous budgetary periods. In this project, a novel approach of evaluating the economic effects of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund since 2007 is presented. The researchers collected data on EU funding at the municipality level for a selected pilot region in the border area of the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland. Using night light emission data as a proxy for economic development, they show that the receipt of a higher amount of EU funding is associated with higher growth in these areas. The results of this project suggest that remote sensing data can be used effectively to capture the small-scale impact of place-based policies on economic development, even in a pan-European context.
Julia Bachtrögler-Unger is an Economist in the research group “Structural Change and Regional Development” at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO). Her research focuses on regional and urban economics, in particular the analysis of economic policy measures in a regional context, regional development and convergence. Her current research activities include the analysis of the implementation and effects of EU cohesion policy at the micro and small-scale level, using data on actual beneficiaries and supported projects.
The recording of the webinar can be viewed on the EPRC’s YouTube page here.
Our next webinar will take place Wednesday November 24th, when Sébastien Bourdin, Professor at EM Normandy Business School, will present on the “EU Cohesion Policy in France”.