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on Project, Program and Portfolio Management |
| By: | Aykut, Dilek; Mauro, Paolo; Singh, Nimarjit; Volkov, Alexei |
| Abstract: | Although many studies have analyzed the drivers and impact of foreign direct investment, less is known about its determinants at different stages of the investment planning and implementation cycle. Meanwhile, researchers are increasingly relying on data tracking announcements of FDI projects, rather than traditional balance-of-payments information, which reflects actual investments. What share of announced projects is completed, and what factors can derail an investment’s progress after a decision is announced? This paper examines the implementation outcomes of all large announced greenfield FDI projects in low-income countries between 2011 and 2020 and explores some of the factors associated with greater likelihood of implementation. It finds that less than half of the projects in the sample were completed or remained on track. Implementation outcomes vary considerably across sectors and source countries. Based on a systematic analysis of publicly available information reported by companies and the media, the most frequently reported barriers to project realization seem to be policy, regulatory, and administrative constraints, as well as financing difficulties and investor-related challenges. Moreover, econometric results indicate that stronger post-announcement economic growth increases the likelihood of project completion, whereas larger projects are less likely to become operational. Among completed projects, the average time from announcement to operation is about three years; timelines vary across business activities but show little relationship with project size. |
| Date: | 2026–10–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11483 |
| By: | Pike , Susan; Bhagat-Conway, Matthew; Kamruzzaman, Mohammad Hider; Panjaitan, Naomi; Trejo-Vera, Carlos; Ngo, Joanna; Nierva, Olivia |
| Abstract: | Land use development projects around transit may take on many forms, thereby having various effects on transit use in theproject vicinity. One approach, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), is the creation of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use projects centered around stations along transit priority corridors (rail, bus rapid transit). There is a needfor research on the quantifiable impacts of land use development projects, and TOD in particular, on transit ridership toguide policy and investments in TOD for future transit plans. This study draws on a comprehensive review of the literatureon ridership outcomes impacted by TOD and related built environment characteristics, transit service characteristics, andsociodemographics. The research team conducted 16 practitioner interviews to contextualize the literature review andgather practitioner input related to ridership estimation for land use development projects around transit. Both theliterature review and interview results are then used to inform a blueprint for the planning and implementation of a TODridership calculator to assist in local planning as well as policy and funding allocation decision-making. The proposedcalculator improves on the current hugely variable methods for estimating outcomes based on land use developmentprojects around transit. The report presents recommendations for the necessary data, potential model formulae, andmodel structures for incorporation into the calculator. The calculator will provide well-supported, transparent, reliablenumbers for local governments and transit operators as well as state agencies and grant application evaluators. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Transit oriented development, literature review, qualitative research, land use and transportation planning |
| Date: | 2026–09–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt3h7932qq |
| By: | Salomé Pinel (LAET - Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Arcadis); Nathalie Havet (LAET - Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LSAF - Laboratoire de Sciences Actuarielle et Financière - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon) |
| Abstract: | Participatory governance, seen as a key lever to guide and legitimize public action in urban planning and mobility, is at the heart of French Metropolitan Regional Express Services (SERM) projects. However, their specificities - service-oriented, multimodal, multiscale and multistakeholder - make their planning more complex, without a theoretical or operational framework being clearly established. This article sheds light on these issues through a critical review of participatory approaches in railway transport planning, whether mandatory or voluntary. It also relies on an in-depth analysis of the Clermont-Auvergne SERM, where focus groups and mapping tools are evaluated for their contribution to co-design. Our review shows that participatory approaches for infrastructure planning, whether mandatory or voluntary, often remain limited to top-down information sharing, with weak integration into project engineering. Voluntary approaches to service planning seem better suited but are rare. For SERM-type projects, despite tools better suited to capture service dynamics and territorial complexity, participation remains uneven and poorly integrated into decision-making. The case study highlights the value of an anticipated, progressive and visual approach, promoting iteration, understanding of the issues, and co-construction of proposals. It also reveals the persistent limitations of innovative geo-governance approaches that hinder co-design: lack of inclusion, weak appropriation, and absence of methodological framework. The proposed recommendations aim to structure an active, reproducible participatory method tailored to multicriteria criteria planning of complex services like SERM, within a dynamic of cross-fertilization between research and action to realize the participatory ambition. |
| Abstract: | La gouvernance participative, perçue comme levier clé pour orienter et légitimer l'action publique en matière d'aménagement et de mobilité, est au cœur des projets français de Services express régionaux métropolitains (SERM). Pourtant, leurs spécificités – servicielle, multimodale, multiéchelle et multiacteur – complexifient leur planification, sans qu'un cadre théorique ou opérationnel soit clairement établi. Cet article éclaire ces enjeux par une revue critique des approches participatives dans la planification du transport ferroviaire, qu'elles soient obligatoires ou facultatives. Il s'appuie aussi sur une analyse fine du SERM Clermont-Auvergne, où focus groups et outils cartographiques sont évalués pour leurs apports à la co-conception. Notre revue montre que les démarches participatives pour la planification d'infrastructures restent souvent cantonnées à une information descendante, moyennant une faible articulation avec l'ingénierie de projet. Les démarches volontaires pour la planification de services semblent mieux adaptées mais sont rares. Pour les projets de type SERM, malgré des outils plus appropriés pour saisir les logiques de services et la complexité territoriale, la participation reste hétérogène et peu intégrée aux décisions. L'étude de cas souligne l'intérêt d'une démarche anticipée, progressive et visuelle, favorisant l'itération, la compréhension des enjeux et la co-construction des propositions. Elle révèle aussi les limites persistantes des démarches innovantes de géo-gouvernance freinant la co-conception : déficit d'inclusion, faible appropriation et manque de cadrage méthodologique. Les recommandations proposées visent à structurer une méthode participative active, reproductible et adaptée aux planifications multicritères de services complexes comme les SERM, dans une dynamique de fertilisation croisée entre recherche et action pour concrétiser l'ambition participative. |
| Keywords: | Rail services conception, Participatory approach, SERM, Public participation, Participatory geographic information systems (PGIS), Participation citoyenne, Systèmes d'information géographique participatifs, Démarche participative, Scénarisation d'offre ferroviaire |
| Date: | 2026–10–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05189756 |
| By: | William Swanson |
| Abstract: | This paper describes a structural model for estimating how changes in permitting requirements affect private investment. The model's framework is a representative sector composed of projects that are identical at the outset and must undergo an uncertain permitting process before production can begin. Permitting delays and outcomes are governed by idiosyncratic shocks that generate uncertainty in both the probability of a project's approval and the timing of a project's completion. The model's framework shows how longer or more uncertain permitting |
| JEL: | D24 E22 Q58 R38 |
| Date: | 2026–07–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbo:wpaper:62517 |
| By: | Zhang, Jingwen; Fu, Hengyi; Wang, Haining (Indiana University School of Medicine) |
| Abstract: | Openness to new investigators is often judged by the share of awards to principal investigators (PIs) without recent funding. We examine it in fiscal year (FY) 2026, when the US National Science Foundation (NSF) made the fewest new grants in four decades. NSF made 30% fewer new research projects than in FY2025, and the number of funded PIs with no NSF award as PI in the previous decade (newcomers) fell nearly as much, yet their share of new projects barely moved (34.5% to 34.3%). CAREER, NSF's main early-career award, added 3.3 percentage points to the newcomer share, offsetting the closure of three early-career programs reserved for institutions outside the Carnegie R1 tier (−3.0 points). The stable share hid a narrowing of reach. Where those programs closed, newcomers fell by 13% at R1 universities and by 66% at institutions below R2, whereas in engineering, which kept its program, newcomers below R2 rose. CAREER's growth went to institutions with more prior NSF projects, and NSF's grant obligations to institutions below R2 fell by 44%, twice the fall at R1 universities, with no offset from other federal research agencies. Per dollar, the closed programs had produced more papers than CAREER or standard grants. |
| Date: | 2026–10–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:9qpb7_v1 |
| By: | Kom Campiranon (College of Innovation, Thammasat University) |
| Abstract: | Public sector innovation is increasingly expected to improve service quality, strengthen institutional capacity, and support long-term transformation. However, many government innovation initiatives remain fragmented and incremental. This paper develops and applies an innovation portfolio mapping framework to examine 64 Thai public sector innovation projects implemented between 2022 and 2024. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews and portfolio mapping, the study classifies initiatives by policy domain, innovation orientation, degree of institutional change, and maturity/scalability. The findings show that Thailand?s public sector innovation landscape is active, diverse, and increasingly digital, but unevenly distributed. The paper positions innovation mapping as a practical tool for diagnosing portfolio imbalance and guiding a shift from project-based incrementalism toward a more balanced innovation portfolio. |
| Keywords: | Government innovation portfolio, Innovation mapping, Public sector transformation, Innovation strategy, Digital government |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iefpro:16217252 |
| By: | Angel Quintana, Daniel Mateo; Suárez-Alemán, Ancor |
| Abstract: | This paper examines whether infrastructure projects that incorporate sustainability, inclusion, and resilience (SIR) components differ from traditional investments in economic appraisal outcomes. Using a harmonized dataset of World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank projects across energy, transport, and water sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean, we identify SIR-oriented operations through text-mining and compare them with non-SIR projects using a propensity score matching approach. Results show no statistically significant differences in standard cost benefit indicators such as internal rates of return, benefit cost ratios, or total economic costs between SIR and non-SIR projects. However, SIR projects exhibit a distinct cost structure: a higher share of discounted capital expenditures and relatively lower operating and maintenance costs, suggesting more investment-intensive designs and better long-term adaptation. This difference has important policy implications: by concentrating costs upfront and reducing recurrent expenses, SIR projects improve cost predictability, enhance resource allocation efficiency, and strengthen fiscal responsibility. At the same time, current appraisal methods fail to capture the broader benefits of SIR investments, underscoring the need for improved data and valuation frameworks to measure resilience and inclusion gains. This study provides one of the first empirical assessments of SIR considerations in economic appraisal and highlights the priority of advancing methodologies to reflect their true value. |
| Keywords: | Infrastructure Investment;Sustainability;Resilient Infrastructure;Resiliency;Inclusive infrastructure;Project evaluation;cost-benefit analysis |
| JEL: | D60 D63 H43 H54 O18 Q56 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:14808 |
| By: | Gassier, Marine; Ikindji, Meltem; Barron, Patrick John |
| Abstract: | Deep divisions between social groups, rooted in long-standing social, economic, and institutional foundations, slow development, weaken institutions, and can unravel years of progress. This paper sets out a framework for strengthening intergroup cohesion in divided societies and offers practical guidance for development teams. It synthesizes findings on five intervention modalities with proven impacts (collaborative contact, intergroup dialogue, perspective taking, mediation training, and edutainment) and guides practitioners on matching each to context. Effects across rigorous evaluations are consistent but modest, pointing to incremental rather than transformative change. Drawing on case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, the framework offers diagnostic tools, illustrative indicators, and operational guidance for embedding cohesion activities into projects and tracking results over time. |
| Date: | 2026–06–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:210995 |
| By: | Serafica, Ramonette B.; Oren, Queen Cel A. |
| Abstract: | The PDP 2023–2028 recognizes innovation as a key driver of growth in the services sector, creating a strategic framework to reinvigorate the sector and strengthen creativity and innovation. To help formulate appropriate strategies and policies, this paper examines evidence on innovation in service industries using the 2021 Survey of Innovation Activities of Establishments, which provided broader sector coverage. The survey was conducted during the pandemic when establishments had to pivot to new modes of service delivery to survive. It offers a more nuanced profile of the demographics, innovation behaviors, and the determinants and effects of innovation across services subsectors. Among the four types of innovation, organizational innovation was the most common type introduced in most service sectors, followed by marketing, process, and product innovation. For the majority of the services subsectors, the most common innovation activity among establishments was “training for innovative activities”. Across all services subsectors, cost factors were identified as the most significant barrier. Organizations that employ at least one Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) technology, obtain funding, use platforms, engage in research and development (R&D) activities (whether outsourced or in-house), or utilize knowledge management methods are more likely to be innovation-active and to produce at least one type of innovation. The survey also reveals greater reliance on internal and market sources of information, while the use of institutional and other sources, such as incubators, scientific journals or technical publications, and regulatory bodies, was low for most subsectors. Universities and other higher education institutions were also not popular cooperation partners. In terms of knowledge management, regularly updating internal databases or manuals was the most common practice, while a policy to bring in external experts from universities, research institutes, or other establishments to participate in project teams was the least common practice across the subsectors. The Philippine Innovation Act (RA 11293) provides various interventions to address impediments arising from cost, knowledge, market, and legal or regulatory factors (Albert et al. 2023). Given the diversity of services, a one-size-fits-all strategy will not be effective. While this study provides a snapshot of the innovation profiles across different subsectors, an in-depth analysis of the innovation ecosystem is required to develop industry-specific innovation roadmaps. |
| Keywords: | innovation, services, product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation, organizational innovation |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:rpseri:rps_2026-03 |
| By: | Federico Corredor (Public Finance Research Cluster, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University); Nadia Farooq (Public Finance Research Cluster, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University); Carlianne Patrick (Public Finance Research Cluster, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University) |
| Abstract: | We study whether a large place-based subsidy can do more than attract highly mobile economic activity by examining Georgia's 2008 expansion of its Film Tax Credit. Using synthetic difference-in-differences with alternative donor pools, we estimate effects on production location and industry scale; we then use a national DDD design to examine worker outcomes. The credit increased Georgia's share of U.S. film projects by 12.6 percentage points and film budgets by 18.9 percentage points. Film-industry employment also increased substantially, with the largest gains emerging several years later, while evidence for wages, establishments, and related industries is more qualified. Worker outcomes improve, but migration and pretrend concerns limit claims about long-term incumbent residents. Over 2013-2019, generated credits amount to roughly $68, 000 per additional job-year relative to the counterfactual. The results show that successful attraction can produce substantial industry scaling without necessarily establishing broad spillovers, incumbent gains, or self-sustaining local development. |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ays:cslfwp:cslf2602 |
| By: | Niño Mora, José |
| Abstract: | We study finite-state multi-gear bandits, Markov decision processes modeling projects with ordered resource levels. Under indexability, a dynamic allocation index (DAI) encodes optimal single-project policies for every resource price. These solutions support Lagrangian bounds and feasible heuristic policies for weakly coupled resource-constrained multi-project problems. We strengthen prior verification results based on partial conservation laws and establish analytical criteria for indexability relative to a posited policy family whose choice is guided by insight into model structure. We also extend fast-pivoting Gittins and Whittle index methods to compute the DAI for multi-gear bandits. When marginal work positivity is known, the linear algebra cost is at most cubic in the state count and linear in the gear count; checking positivity makes the gear-count dependence quadratic. A theoretical variant using fast matrix multiplication reduces this cost to subcubic order in the state count for fixed gear count. The results extend to average costs. Benchmarks show substantial runtime gains of blocked fast-pivoting over alternative index implementations. An age-only model of capped age of incorrect information (AoII) over Rayleigh-fading links illustrates the methods. In heterogeneous AoII simulations, a knapsack-and-index policy reduces estimated mean cost by up to 56 percent relative to myopic allocation. Simulations show the policy's relative mean-cost gap to the average-cost Lagrangian bound decreasing with project count, providing numerical evidence consistent with asymptotic optimality. The gap falls below 0.5 percent in the largest systems tested (1, 600 projects). |
| Keywords: | Markov Processes; Multi-Gear Bandits; Indexability; Fast Pivoting; Resource Allocation. |
| Date: | 2026–10–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cte:wsrepe:51080 |
| By: | Olivier Bouba-Olga (Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Laboratoire RURALITES); Laura Delmas (Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, BPH - Bordeaux population health - UB - Université de Bordeaux - Institut de Santé Publique, d'Épidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED) - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale); Etienne Fouqueray (Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Laboratoire RURALITES) |
| Abstract: | In a context of fiscal tightening, local governments are increasingly compelled to arbitrate their interventions and to prioritize certain areas in the allocation of grants. In this perspective, analyzing the financial situation of communal blocks constitutes a valuable decision-support tool for public actors. This article proposes a method based on a combination of indicators relating to potential wealth, investment effort and available room for maneuver. It seeks to provide a comprehensive and operational framework for comparing financial situations across territories. Applied to intermunicipal groups in metropolitan France in 2024, the approach is structured in two stages. The first consists in assessing the level of potential resources – measured through a composite indicator combining fiscal potential and state transfers – and the degree of investment commitment. The second stage aims to identify the main available levers that can be mobilized to finance future projects, including taxation capacity, debt sustainability, cash flow, investment grants and the degree of intermunicipal integration. The results reveal significant heterogeneity in financial situations across territories. Some communal blocks combine limited resources with a high level of mobilization of available levers, thereby constraining their future investment capacity. Conversely, other territories exhibit more favorable positions, with untapped margins for action. These disparities are partly associated with structural factors such as population size (number of inhabitants), regional location and degree of rurality. Overall, the findings underline the importance of adopting a multidimensional and contextualized approach to financial analysis, rather than relying on a single composite indicator, in order to better inform public decision-making and tailor policy interventions to local conditions. |
| Abstract: | Dans un contexte de resserrement budgétaire, les collectivités territoriales sont conduites à arbitrer leurs interventions et à prioriser certains territoires dans l'attribution de subventions. Dans cette perspective, une possibilité consiste à s'appuyer sur une analyse de la situation financière des blocs communaux. Cet article propose une méthode fondée sur la combinaison d'indicateurs relatifs à la richesse potentielle, à l'investissement et aux marges de manœuvre. Appliquée aux ensembles intercommunaux de France hexagonale en 2024, elle s'organise en deux temps : l'appréciation des ressources potentielles et du degré d'engagement dans l'investissement, puis l'identification des leviers mobilisables (fiscalité, endettement, trésorerie, subventions, coopération intercommunale). Les résultats révèlent une forte hétérogénéité des situations financières, partiellement liée au nombre d'habitants, à l'appartenance régionale et au degré de ruralité. |
| Keywords: | Potentiel financier, Marges de manœuvre, Finances locales, Effets géographiques, Aide à la décision publique |
| Date: | 2026–06–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05734131 |
| By: | Carril, Rodrigo |
| Abstract: | Europe is embarking on a historic increase in defence and security spending. If done well, it will fundamentally reshape European defence capabilities amd remake the European defence industrial base. If done badly, Europe risks wasting billions for outdated and expensive equipment with little difference in military capability. The application of key economic insights from mechanism design and best practice in procurement is essential. This report synthesizes the key insights from economic research on how to maximize European military capabilities, economic resilience, and innovation per Euro spent. (i) The procurement of innovation should be placed at the centre of Europe's defence strategy. Evidence from U.S. programmes shows that autonomous, flexible agencies with highly skilled programme managers, bottom-up project selection, and active project management outperform rigid, top-down systems. A combination of funding pushes for R&D and pull incentives through purchase commitments is most effective. (ii) Europe must prepare for demand surges during a conflict and secure actual production capacity through contracts across the supply chain. Future scalability of production, unitcost reduction, and ensuring secure supply chains and critical inputs must be central to the strategy. (iii) Effective procurement processes require well-trained and competent buyers with sufficient discretion, combined with strong ex post accountability. Flexibility and discretion are typically preferable to rigid ex ante rules and overspecification in slow bureaucratic processes. For standardized goods such as ammunition, competitive auctions and fixedprice contracts perform well. (iv) On a European level, the case for centralising defence procurement is strong. A single European defence procurement market would yield large cost savings, strengthen the industrial base, enhance interoperability, and improve coordination of R&D and surge-capacity investments. |
| Abstract: | Europa steht vor einem historischen Anstieg der Ausgaben für Verteidigung und Sicherheit. Werden diese zusätzlichen Mittel gut geplant, verteilt und eingesetzt, kann dies die europäischen Verteidigungsfähigkeiten grundlegend verändern und die industrielle Basis der europäischen Verteidigung neu ausrichten. Wird dieser Umsetzungsprozess schlecht gestaltet, droht Europa Milliarden für veraltete und teure Ausrüstung zu verschwenden - mit nur geringen Verbesserungen der militärischen Leistungsfähigkeit. Die Anwendung zentraler ökonomischer Erkenntnisse aus der Mechanismusdesign-Theorie und Best Practices aus der Beschaffung ist entscheidend für den Erfolg. Dieser Report bündelt die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse aus der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Forschung, um militärische Fähigkeiten, wirtschaftliche Resilienz und Innovationskraft Europas pro eingesetztem Euro zu maximieren. (i) Die innovationsorientierte Beschaffung muss ins Zentrum der europäischen Verteidigungsstrategie rücken. Empirische Evidenz aus US-Programmen zeigt, dass autonome, flexible Agenturen mit hochqualifizierten Programmmanagerinnen und -managern, bottom-up Projektselektion und aktivem Projektmanagement gegenüber starren, hierarchisch gesteuerten Systemen überlegen sind. Besonders wirksam ist dabei eine Kombination aus angebotsseitiger Förderung von Forschung und Entwicklung und nachfrageseitigen Anreizen durch verbindliche Abnahme- und Kaufzusagen. (ii) Europa muss sich auf Nachfragespitzen im Konfliktfall vorbereiten und durch Verträge entlang der gesamten Wertschöpfungskette die entsprechenden Produktionskapazitäten sichern. Die zukünftige Skalierbarkeit der Produktion, sinkende Stückkosten sowie robuste Lieferketten und die gesicherte Verfügbarkeit kritischer Vorprodukte müssen zentrale Be standteile dieser Strategie sein. (iii) Wirksame Beschaffungsprozesse erfordern gut ausgebildete und kompetente Einkäuferinnen und Einkäufer mit ausreichendem Entscheidungsspielraum, kombiniert mit starker ex-post-Rechenschaftspflicht. In der Praxis erweisen sich Flexibilität und Ermessen häufig als überlegen gegenüber starren ex-ante-Regeln und einer übermäßigen Spezifikation in langsamen bürokratischen Verfahren. Für standardisierte Güter wie Munition haben sich wettbewerbliche Auktionen und Festpreisverträge bewährt. (iv) Auf europäischer Ebene spricht viel für eine Zentralisierung der Verteidigungsbeschaffung. Ein einheitlicher europäischer Markt für Verteidigungsgüter würde erhebliche Kosteneinsparungen ermöglichen, die industrielle Basis Europas stärken, die Interoperabilität zwischen den Streitkräften erhöhen und die Koordinierung von Forschung und Entwicklung sowie von Investitionen in Spitzen- und Reservekapazitäten verbessern. |
| Keywords: | defence procurement, defence spending, governance, contract design, innovation, competition, military industrial base, R&D incentives, European defence integration, Verteidigungsbeschaffung, Verteidigungsausgaben, Governance, Vertragsgestaltung, Innovation, Vertragstheorie, Wettbewerb, militärisch-industrielle Basis, F&EAnreize, europäische Verteidigungsintegration |
| JEL: | H41 H56 H57 D44 L14 L52 O31 O38 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkrp:344235 |
| By: | Miriam Berretta (Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), L'Aquila, Italy); Adan Silverio-Murillo (School of Government and Public Transformation, Tecnológico de Monterrey) |
| Abstract: | Large infrastructure projects are promoted as development strategies, yet their social consequences are rarely studied. We examine how the construction of Mexico’s Tren Maya, a 1, 554-kilometer railway, affected violence against women. Exploiting the staggered start of construction across railway sections in a difference-in-differences design, we find that construction increased assault-related hospitalisations of women by 57.8%, driven by intimate partner violence (67.5%) and non-partner assaults (50.8%). Reported crimes of sexual abuse rose by 40.2%. We find no increase in intimate partner violence against men, while estimates for other male outcomes are not informative. Construction also reshaped local labour markets, expanding jobs in the male-dominated transport sector and female-dominated food services. These shifts are consistent with two potential channels: a male backlash against women’s employment, increasing intimate partner violence, and an influx of male workers, increasing assaults against women in public spaces. |
| Keywords: | infrastructure, railway, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, domestic violence, Mexico |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gnt:wpaper:44 |