The Journal of Economic Geography at 25: charting the geographies of economies for quarter of a century (2001–26)

The Journal of Economic Geography (JoEG) is 25 years old! Launched in 2001 by founding editors Richard Arnott and Neil Wrigley (see Arnott and Wrigley 2001), the journal has charted a quarter of century of developments in the geographies of economies, seen through the research of both ‘economic geographers’ and ‘geographical economists’ (Arnott and Wrigley 2003: 1). During this period, we have witnessed and authors have provided analysis of major economic events including (but not limited to) the end of the dot.com boom and ensuing bust, the global financial crisis and recession, COVID-19, and, most recently, the impacts of multiple wars and the apparent breakdown of the neoliberal free markets consensus, symbolized by Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff regime. Also, during this period, the world has witnessed, and the journal’s authors have analysed, major shifts such as: The rise of China. When the journal was launched, the rise of the Four Asian Tiger economies dominated many discussions. Over the past quarter century, the growth and global influence of China’s economy have given rise to new debates and contexts for analysis. This shift sits alongside: changing questions about the role of Eastern Europe and its relationships with Russia; perpetual interest in India and its economic potential and evolving role in global production; proclamation of the ‘Africa rising’ (Economist 2011); evolving nexus between natural resources and services in the Antipodean context; and, most recently, rupture in the role of the USA in the global economy and associated formal and informal governance arrangements. Technological disruption. The journal was ‘born digital’—almost! Initial submissions were by post, but like the economy more widely, technological change quickly swept away traditional practices. Paper submissions, reviewer reports, decision letters, and volumes of the journal have transitioned to online submissions, reviews, decisions, and now exclusively online publications. These changes symbolize the digital disruption to the economy that the journal’s contributors have scrutinized. From the impacts of the internet and big data, through video-conferencing and digitized production including 3D printing, to the most recent developments in AI and generative machine learning, the journal has served as a platform to document and analyse the effects of technological change on the spaces and places of the global economy. A greater appreciation of the need for diversity—in the economy and our analyses of it. Despite recent developments in the US context, across the geographies studied and in the methodologies and theories used in research, the past 25 years have seen the firm establishment of an appreciation of the importance, value, and centrality of diverse economies. At the JoEG, we have and continue to strive to reflect this in both the content of the papers published and the diversity of our authorship base. There is more to do for sure, and we will continue to prioritize this agenda. Indeed, in response to structural changes within and across world economies in the last quarter century, the JoEG has, out of necessity, remained open to a wide range of foci, approaches, and perspectives. Reflecting the evolution of key research areas, the journal has covered topics including: Climate change and the environment Cities, regions, and the economy Finance Firms Globalization and development International movements of people, goods, services, and capital Knowledge, innovation, and technological change/transitions Regional/spatial (in)equity Transport and mobility This list is clearly not exhaustive. Within each topic area, a diversity of perspectives, theories, methods, and motivating questions exists. Crucial, though, has been an approach when covering these topics that builds on the unique ability of the JoEG to offer analysis and insight from the perspective of both economics and geography as two separate but related disciplines. When launched, the journal emerged at a particular moment when debates about the relationships, conversations, and collaborations between economics and geography were heated and energizing (e.g. Amin and Thrift 2000). The journal was a key response and enabled further development of the opportunities identified for an approach to analysis of the economy that drew from, when appropriately combined and leveraged, the benefits of perspectives from economics and geography. As a journal dedicated to economics and geography, the JoEG was, then, a novel enterprise. Its success has only been possible because of three crucial groups (listed below in no particular order) of contributors to the journal. First, the editors. In the past 25 years, the journal has been served by a total of fifteen different editors: Richard Arnott Neil Wrigley Diego Puga Henry G. Overman Kristian Behrens Harald Bathelt Neil M. Coe William R. Kerr Frédéric Robert Nicoud Eleonora Patacchini Simona Iammarino Stephen Gibbons Jorge De la Roca Amanda Ross James Faulconbridge When launched, the journal published four issues and around twenty papers a year. It now publishes six issues and around forty papers. The journal has, then, grown. However, the editors have all been crucial in ensuring that this growth has been carefully managed to retain a focus on quality. We only publish the most empirically, theoretically, and methodologically innovative, impactful, and original work. We now do so through two paper formats and through special issues: Standard papers. These have been the core format for the journal since its launch. Papers can be empirical or theoretical, with an emphasis on making a meaningful contribution to knowledge in the field. Emerging voices. Launched in 2025, these papers typically range from 5,000 to 10,000 words in length. They are papers designed to allow quick and impactful publication of recently completed research that addresses timely questions about the economy and its geography. We are publishing the first accepted Emerging Voices paper in this issue of the journal. Special issues. The journal runs a competitive application process. Details are available on the journal’s website at https://academic.oup.com/joeg/pages/special-issues-guidelines. All special issues are advertised on the journal’s webpage with an open process that allows submissions from across the research community. The editors also rely on the committed editorial board. The insights, ideas, suggestions, and advice provided by the editorial board are essential in enabling the editors to develop the journal in ways that meet the needs of the research community. Second, the authors. Without the authors, there would not be a journal. Over the past 25 years, the journal has published papers by more than 1,000 different authors. We look forward to continuing to work with both our established author base and an ever more diverse group of authors representing all approaches, geographies, and perspectives. Third, the reviewers. Without reviewers, the journal cannot maintain its quality standards. The generosity of reviewers’ time is crucial both for editors and authors. As editors and authors, we are truly grateful to everyone who clicks the ‘agreed’ link in an email inviting them to review for the journal. Over the past 25 years, the journal has benefited from the insights of thousands of review reports, for which the editors are eternally grateful. To reflect on the past 25 years, we have commissioned a series of commentaries that reflect on developments in the economy and its geography, considering the debates over time on such themes through the articles in the JoEG. The commentaries will be published in issues throughout 2026. The commentaries capture developments during the journal’s lifetime and also reflect on future trajectories that will define the next 25 years of research in the JoEG. They provide a sample of the past, present, and future focus of research in relation to different big themes. We asked authors to provide a clear narrative, telling the story of research in relation to their selected topic and identifying the key continuities, changes, disruptions, and controversies. We look forward to the next 25 years and the continued growth and development of the journal as it continues to provide the highest quality, most original, and impactful analysis of the geographies of economies in whatever form they might take as we move into the middle years of the 21st century. The aims of JoEG—‘to redefine and reinvigorate the intersection between economics and geography, and to provide a world-class journal in the field’—remain as relevant now as they were in 2001. As we noted in our 2024 editorial, the journal will continue to emphasize ‘openness and inclusivity’, welcoming ‘plurality in research across methods, empirical foci, theoretical perspectives, and global geographies’. We look forward to your continued involvement with the Journal of Economic Geography, through your submissions and service as reviewers and editorial board members, as we build on the next 25 years of scholarship at the intersection of economics and geography.

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