"The Geography of craft beer brewing and consumption: local entrepreneurialism and tourism development” is the title of the next RSAI-GSSI Summer Workshop organized by the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) area of Social Sciences, in cooperation with the Regional Science Association International (RSAI), the North American Regional Science Association (NARSC) and the University of Toledo.

The event is intended to provide a unique opportunity to pre-doctoral students and early career scholars (Associate Professors or below) to actively participate in a 2-day workshop focused on the role that craft breweries can play in economic and tourism development at a variety of scales - neighbourhood, city, and regional. The last session of the workshop will be dedicated to the pre-doctoral students, who will have a chance to present their research topics and receive feedback from internationally renowned Professors and early career scholars working on similar topics. In addition to that, two relevant case studies will be presented by local entrepreneurs: Apecchio and L’Aquila. Located in the Marche region of Italy, Apecchio is the home to three craft breweries and has used their existence to leverage the village’s tourism industry. L’Aquila is home to two craft brewery (Anbra - Anonima Brasseria Aquilana, and Alkibia). Moreover, the students will have the chance to meet and exchange ideas with the 30 Ph.D. candidates currently enrolled in the “Urban Studies and Regional Science” program at GSSI and 7 postdocs, in an international, multidisciplinary and stimulating environment. GSSI, in collaboration with RSAI and NARSC, will offer 10 scholarships to 2nd or 3rd year doctoral students for an intensive, two-day program with in-depth working sessions on topics related to the practical and theoretical significance of craft-beer brewing in regional development and on local entrepreneurialism. The final aim of this workshop is to provide 10 pre-doctoral and 10 early career scholars (associate professors or below) working on similar research topics with a chance to create a research network on this growing area of research. Favouring informal knowledge exchange (during lunches, social events and a craft beer tasting event) will be an integral part of the workshop. We also plan a number of follow-up activities. These include a special issue of a refereed academic journal and the organization of special sessions at regional science conferences such as NARSC and ERSA. The Workshop format is a 2-day meeting. It includes time for research, discussion and paper presentations – combining conventional parallel workshop sessions, plenary sessions and keynote speeches, where the participants can present their current research projects. 

Call for papers is now open, the deadline for applications is March 31st 2018. 

For more information on the full programme and how to submit your application, please read here: http://www.gssi.it/seminars/seminars-and-events-2018/item/2229-rsai-gssi-summer-workshop-the-geography-of-craft-beer-brewing-and-consumption-local-entrepreneurialism-and-tourism-development

Maria Giulia Pezzi, PhD
Social Anthropology

PostDoc Research Fellow, Social Sciences Unit
GSSI - Gran Sasso Science Institute
Via Michele Iacobucci 2
67100 L’Aquila (AQ), Italy