Economic Geography
Our research explores how major economic, social, and environmental changes—such as structural shifts in the economy, digitalization, globalization, and climate change—affect people, places, and organizations. We examine how individuals, communities, companies, and institutions respond to these dynamics, adapt their activities, and actively shape economic changes. Our work is grounded in perspectives from relational and environmental economic geography.
Current research topics:
• Agri-food networks
• Labor relations
• Digital transformation
• Global production networks
• Gastronomy and trade
• Climate change adaptation
• Sustainability transitions
• Regional development
• Resilience and risk
Regional focus: Central Europe, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Tanzania and Turkey
Contact: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz
Latest news
We’re pleased to welcome (back) Dr. François-Xavier Viallon, Dr. Thomas Neise, and Frederik Kamphues to the Human Geography Working Group with a focus on Economic Geography.
Starting in October 2024, the German Research Foundation (DFG) will fund the Research Training Group “Ecological Regime Shifts and Systemic Risks in Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems (ECORISK)” Research Training Group at Osnabrück University. Prof. Dr. Martin Franz and Jana Rülke from our working group are actively involved in this interdisciplinary initiative. To the announcement
New publications
- Werner, K., Griese, K.-M. & Franz, M. (2025): Events and climate change: Policy responses and adaptation strategies for the events industry, Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 17(4), 871-875, https://doi.org/10.1080/19407963.2025.2549690
- Meinen, H. & Franz, M. (2025): Ziele einer nachhaltigen Immobilien-Projektentwicklung – eine systematische Literaturauswertung. In: Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning. https://doi.org/10.14512/rur.3062
- Bağcı, U. E. & Franz, M. (2025): Beyond networks – reconceptualizing over-embeddedness in the case of Turkish retailers in Germany, Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography. https://doi.org/10.1080/04353684.2025.2559665
- Rülke, J., & Franz, M. (2025): Geographical Knowledge: A Catalyst for Reconfiguring Global Production Networks? In: Journal of Economic and Human Geography, early view. https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.70026
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Rülke, J., Arnold, H., & Franz, M. (2025): ‘Unwasting’ waste: Valorisation of cocoa pod husks for black soap production. In: ERDKUNDE, 79(2), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.3112/erdkunde.2025.02.03
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Dachs, I., Rülke, J., & Franz, M. (2025). Bringing a circular economy perspective into global production networks: Cocoa pod husk-based compost production in Ghana. Journal of Cleaner Production, 519, 145955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145955
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Helwing-Hentschel, V. (2025). Digitale Plattformen in der Transportlogistik: Arbeitsbezogene Effekte auf unterschiedlichen räumlichen Ebenen. Standort. org/10.1007/s00548-025-00969-7
- Follmann, A., Dannenberg, P., Baur, N., Braun, B., Walther, G., Bernzen, A., Börner, J., Brüntrup, M., Franz, M., Götz, L. ... Neise, T. ..., Sulle, E. (2024). Conceptualizing Sustainability and Resilience in Value Chains in Times of Multiple Crises: Notes on Agri-Food Chains. DIE ERDE - Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin. https://doi.org/10.12854/erde-2024-692
- Völlers, P., Franz, M., Verfürth, P. (2024). Gestärkt aus den Krisen: Bewältigungs- und Anpassungsmaßnahmen von Gastronomiebetrieben in Niedersachsen. Standort, online first org/10.1007/s00548-024-00954-6
- Neise, T., Verfürth, P., Franz, M. (Eds.). (2024). The Changing Economic Geography of Companies and Regions in Times of Risk, Uncertainty, and Crisis. Taylor & Francis.
- Bücken, F. (2024). Organisationale Resilienz und gradueller Wandel – Ressourcenkonfiguration und Einbettung als Faktoren der Anpassungsfähigkeit an Risiken am Beispiel der Logistikbranche. Dissertation. Osnabrück University. https://doi.org/10.48693/599
- Verfürth, P., Helwing-Hentschel, V. (2024). Digital platforms and the reconfiguration of global production networks, Journal of Economic Geography, lbae039, https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbae039
Science space "GO-Chains": Sustainability governance of global value chains
Funding: State of Lower Saxony and Volkswagen Foundation
Duration: 01/2025–03/2028
Project Management: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz
Contact: Frederik Kamphues
Agriculture in Crisis?
Duration: From 02/2024
Funding: Self-funding
Management: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz, Prof. Dr. Hajo Holst
ECORISK: Ecological Regime Shifts & Systemic Risk in Coupled Social-Ecological Systems
Duration: 10/2024 - 09/2029
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Head: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz
Contact: Jana Rülke
Sustainability Governance of Global Value Chains
Duration: 08/2024 - 07/2028
Funding: Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and Volkswagen Foundation
Head: Prof. Dr. Jens Newig (University of Lüneburg)
Contact: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz
KlimaEvent: Climate-adapted Events Through Resilient Value Chains - a Pilot Project in Bad Essen
Duration: 04/2023 - 03/2026
Funding: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
Management: Prof. Dr. Kim Werner (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences), Prof. Dr. Kai-Michael Griese (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences), Prof. Dr. Martin Franz, Dr. Thomas Neise
Contact: Laura Hoth
Organizational Resilience in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Crisis Management and Strategic Adaptation of Catering Businesses in Cities in Lower Saxony
Duration: 10/2022 - 11/2025
Funding: Pro*Niedersachsen - Forschungsprojekte der Geistes-, Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften
Head: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz, Dr. Thomas Neise, Dr. Phillip Verfürth
Contact: Isabelle Dachs
Gastronomy in Transition
Duration: ongoing
Funding: self-funding
Management: Prof. Dr. Martin Franz, Dr. Thomas Neise, Dr. Phillip Verfürth
Socio-economic Evaluation as Part of the Hotspot Project 23 "Diversity in Geest and Moor - Landscape Through the Ages"
Duration: 07/2022 - 06/2027
Funding: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
Head: Dr. Philip Verfürth
Werner, K., Griese, K.-M. & Franz, M. (2025): Events and climate change: Policy responses and adaptation strategies for the events industry, Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 17(4), 871-875, https://doi.org/10.1080/19407963.2025.2549690
Meinen, H. & Franz, M. (2025): Ziele einer nachhaltigen Immobilien-Projektentwicklung – eine systematische Literaturauswertung. In: Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning. https://doi.org/10.14512/rur.3062
Bağcı, U. E. & Franz, M. (2025): Beyond networks – reconceptualizing over-embeddedness in the case of Turkish retailers in Germany, Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography. https://doi.org/10.1080/04353684.2025.2559665
Rülke, J., & Franz, M. (2025): Geographical Knowledge: A Catalyst for Reconfiguring Global Production Networks? In: Journal of Economic and Human Geography, early view. https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.70026
Rülke, J., Arnold, H., & Franz, M. (2025): ‘Unwasting’ waste: Valorisation of cocoa pod husks for black soap production. In: ERDKUNDE, 79(2), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.3112/erdkunde.2025.02.03
Dachs, I., Rülke, J., & Franz, M. (2025). Bringing a circular economy perspective into global production networks: Cocoa pod husk-based compost production in Ghana. Journal of Cleaner Production, 519, 145955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145955
Helwing-Hentschel, V. (2025). Digitale Plattformen in der Transportlogistik: Arbeitsbezogene Effekte auf unterschiedlichen räumlichen Ebenen. Standort. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00548-025-00969-7
Follmann, A., Dannenberg, P., Baur, N., Braun, B., Walther, G., Bernzen, A., Börner, J., Brüntrup, M., Franz, M., Götz, L. ... Neise, T. ..., Sulle, E. (2024). Conceptualizing Sustainability and Resilience in Value Chains in Times of Multiple Crises: Notes on Agri-Food Chains. DIE ERDE – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 155(1). https://doi.org/10.12854/erde-2024-692
Völlers, P., Franz, M., Verfürth, P. (2024). Gestärkt aus den Krisen: Bewältigungs- und Anpassungsmaßnahmen von Gastronomiebetrieben in Niedersachsen. Standort, 49, 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00548-024-00954-6
Neise, T., Verfürth, P., Franz, M. (Eds.). (2024). The Changing Economic Geography of Companies and Regions in Times of Risk, Uncertainty, and Crisis. Taylor & Francis.
Bücken, F. (2024). Organisationale Resilienz und gradueller Wandel – Ressourcenkonfiguration und Einbettung als Faktoren der Anpassungsfähigkeit an Risiken am Beispiel der Logistikbranche. Dissertation. Universität Osnabrück. https://doi.org/10.48693/599
Helwing-Hentschel, V., Franz, M., Verfürth, P. (2024). Sorgfaltspflicht in Transportlieferketten: Gesamte Lieferkette in den Blick nehmen. Forschungsförderung Working Paper, Hans Böckler Stiftung. https://www.boeckler.de/de/faust-detail.htm?sync_id=HBS-008904
Franz, M., Helwing, V., Verfürth, P. (2024). Digital platforms and their impact on labour in the logistics sector from a Global Production Networks perspective. In: Vale, M., Ferreira, D., Rodrigues, N. (eds.): Geographies of the platform economy. Critical perspectives. Springer: 91–104.
Bagci, U., Franz, M. (2024). How Do Turkish Grocers Respond to Changes in the German Retail Market?. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 116(1). doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12641.
Völlers, P., Verfürth, P., Franz, M. (2024). Deutsch-türkische Investitionsbeziehungen in Krisenzeiten – Handlungsmöglichkeiten für Unternehmen und unterstützende Organisationen. Standort – Zeitschrift für angewandte Geographie, 48, 37–43. doi.org/10.1007/s00548-023-00876-9
Völlers, P. (2023). Managers’ perception of risk as a driver for firm strategies in global production networks : the case of turkish-german direct investment. Dissertation. Universität Osnabrück.
Bücken, F. (2023). Klimarisiken in der Logistikbranche. In: Korn, T., Lempp, J., van der Beek, G. (eds) Wirtschaftsförderung in der Krise. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-41390-3_5
Franz, M., Neise, T., Verfürth, P. (2023). Gastronomie zwischen Strukturwandel und COVID-19-Krise. In: Korn, T., Lempp, J., van der Beek, G. (eds) Wirtschaftsförderung in der Krise. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-41390-3_4
Neise, T., López, T., Reksa, A.F.A. (2023). Rethinking labour risk in global production networks: Resilience strategies of cruise ship workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Geoforum, 145, 103842. doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2023.103842
Völlers, P., Neise, T., Verfürth, P., Franz, M., Bücken, F., Schumacher, K. P. (2023). Revisiting risk in the Global Production Network approach 2.0 - Towards a performative risk narrative perspective. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 55(8), 1838–1858. doi.org/10.1177/0308518X231169288
Helwing, V., Verfürth, P., Franz, M. (2023). Trucking (un)limited – the impact of digital platforms on labour in production networks of logistics. ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, 67(4), 177–188. doi.org/10.1515/zfw-2021-0032
Schack, C., Neise, T., Franz, M. (2023). Erfolgsfaktoren für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung von Gewerbegebieten. Standort – Zeitschrift für angewandte Geographie, 48, 132–139. doi.org/10.1007/s00548-023-00848-z
Völlers, P. (2023). Mitigating Extra-Firm Risk Environments – The Case of Turkish Firms in Germany. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 114(3), 237–251. doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12557.
Kotzold, D., Hüer, L., Griese, K.M., Franz, M. (2023). Efficient and Sustainable Land Use in Logistics Through Cooperation: A Literature Review and Empirical Research. Journal of Management and Sustainability, 13(1), 103–118. doi.org/10.5539/jms.v13n1p103
Schumacher, K.P., Bücken, F., Franz, M., Griese, K.M. (2023). Herausforderung Logistik – Kommunikation für ein nachhaltiges Flächenmanagement. In: Henn, S.; Zimmermann, T.; Braunschweig, B. (eds): Stadtregionales Flächenmanagement. Springer Spektrum: Berlin, Heidelberg. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-63295-6_32-1
Verfürth, P., Franz, M., Helwing, V. (2023). Digitale Business-to-Business-Plattformen im Logistiksektor. Auswirkungen auf Arbeit und Reaktionen von Betriebsräten und Gewerkschaften. Working Paper Forschungsförderung 272, Düsseldorf: Hans-Böckler-Stiftung. https://www.boeckler.de/de/faust-detail.htm?sync_id=HBS-008542
Bagci, U.E., Franz, M., Yavan, N. (2022). Ethnic networks in the internationalization of Turkish food producers. ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, 66(4), 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1515/zfw-2021-0052
Franz, M., Rülke, J. (2022). Die gute Geschichte von der Schokolade aus Ghana. Geographische Rundschau, 2022(9), 38–43.
Arnold, H., Franz, M., Felgentreff, C., Higgs, B. (2022). The effects of interdisciplinarity and internationality of group compositions in student fieldwork. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 47(3), 451–466. 10.1080/03098265.2022.2119474
Verfürth, P., Neise, T., Franz, M., Sohns, F. (2022). The uneven effects of COVID-19 on the German restaurant and bar industry. Erdkunde, 76(2), 127–140. Neise, T.; Sett, D.; von Elverfeldt, K. & Wannewitz, M. (2022): Adjustment or transformation? Disaster risk intervention examples from Austria, Indonesia, Kiribati and South Africa. Land Use Policy, 120, 106230. doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106230
Kosow, H., Wassermann, S., Bartke, S., Goede,P., Grimski, D., Imbert, I., Jenssen, T., Laukel, O., Proske, M., Protzer, J., Schumacher, K. P., Siedentop, S., Wagner-Endres, S., Wittekind, J., Zimmermann, K. (2022). Addressing Goal Conflicts: New Policy Mixes for Commercial Land Use Management. Land, 11(6), 795. doi.org/10.3390/land11060795
Verfürth, P. (2022). Highly skilled (re-)migrants in multinational enterprises: Facilitators of cross-border knowledge transfers. Global Networks, 22(3), 1–19. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/glob.1236