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"This edited volume brings together a group of expert contributors to explore the opportunities and the challenges that Industry 4.0 (smart manufacturing) is likely to pose for regions, firms and jobs in Europe. Drawing on theory and empirical cases, it considers emerging issues like servitization, new innovation models for local production systems, and the increase in reshoring. Industry 4.0 and Regional Transformation captures the complexity of this new manufacturing model in an accessible way and considers its implications for the future. It will be essential reading for advanced students, researchers and policymakers in regional studies, industrial policy, economic geography, innovation studies, operations management and engineering."

New technologies and sector imbalances due to manufacturing hollowing out have dented the regional stock of competencies in the European Union (EU) labour markets. This raises concerns over the sustainability of the EU's competitiveness in the longer term. The present study explore on what occupational mix might be able to deliver greater regional productivity in the light of emerging industrial dynamics. We estimate panel regression models using regional data from the EU Labour Force Survey and Eurostat regional statistics. Our results show that regional gross value added (GVA) is significantly improved if regions have a mix of occupations that includes what we define as smart workers: these are workers employed in advanced manufacturing and knowledge-based production-support activities. We also test interactions amongst production and production-support occupations as well as the nonlinear effect between smart workers and regional GVA. Policy implications are discussed.

The UK's automotive industry has been one of the 'star performers' of the UK economy in recent years – unlike most other manufacturing sectors. Output has increased by over 60 per cent since 2010 and there has been over £8 billion worth of investment in the industry in the past five years. The industry supports some 800,000 jobs in the UK. It is seen as having benefitted from EU membership. So what might Brexit mean for the UK automotive sector, and its workers? This paper considers short-run impacts, before turning to the impact of uncertainty on foreign direct investment inflows and then the nature of a possible trading relationship. Some brief reflections on policy implications round off the paper.