Thilo Lang

Thilo Lang is an Honorary Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Leipzig and works at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (IfL) in Leipzig, Germany. He serves as Head of the Research Area "Multiple Geographies of regional and local Development" and Head of the Department "Regional Geographies of Europe" at the IfL. Lang has been affiliated with the IfL since 2009 and has held various research positions in Germany and internationally.

Lang's educational background includes studies in spatial and environmental planning in Kaiserslautern and urban planning in Hamburg (graduated with a degree). His academic journey includes research stays at Durham University and the University of Sheffield.

Lang's research focuses on heterodox economic geography, institutional change in the light of socio-ecological transformations, and local and regional development with a particular emphasis on socio-spatial polarisation and "left-behind places." His work explores collaborative innovation communities and conducts cross-national comparative urban and regional studies, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. His research examines how regions adapt to economic crises, the dynamics of peripheralization, and the role of innovative enterprises in non-metropolitan areas.

Lang's publication record shows a consistent focus on regional development, peripheralization, and urban resilience. His recent work has increasingly addressed the concept of "left-behind places," Chinese infrastructure investments in post-Soviet spaces, and the visualization of the global knowledge economy. His research often employs comparative methodologies across European regions, with special attention to Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, and non-metropolitan areas globally.

Lang is actively involved in numerous research projects, both current and completed. Current projects include Driving Inclusive Care: Economic Democracy and Social Economy (DICES), Leibniz-Lab "Umbrüche und Transformationen" (Upheavals and Transformations), KulturLandBilder, and Building transformative capacities to activate regional innovation systems (ATRAKTIV).

Lang serves on multiple advisory boards including the wecare-Agentur Thüringen, the Re-Place Project, the Periféria Policy and Research Centre, and the Department of Excellence Programme 2018-2023 on "Fragile Territories" at Politechnico di Milano. He is also a member of the Research Centre Global Dynamics at the University of Leipzig (ReCentGlobe) and the Global and European Studies Institute at the University of Leipzig.

Lang leads research teams focusing on regional development, peripheralization, and innovative approaches to understanding spatial transformations. His department "Regional Geographies of Europe" conducts comparative studies on European regions, with particular attention to socio-spatial polarisation and the challenges facing non-metropolitan areas.