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About Me

Welcome! I am Dr Zihan Wang (王梓涵), I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex Business School, and the AHRC Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC). I am also a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Governance, Regions and Industrial Strategy, University of Bath.

My research sits at the intersection of evolutionary economic geography, innovation studies, and the future of work, developing along three interconnected strands:

  • Skills, regional innovation and industrial transformation – Drawing on Evolutionary Economic Geography, I examine skills as regional capabilities that enable regional innovation and structural diversification, with a particular focus on left-behind places and old industrial regions.
  • The future of work and evolution of skills – I investigate how skill demand evolves in response to technological change, particularly artificial intelligence, and how skills can be developed beyond formal education and training systems through informal institutions such as coworking spaces.
  • Clusters and agglomerations – I investigate the evolving forms of industrial clustering across creative and manufacturing sectors, including coworking spaces as industrial districts supporting smart manufacturing, and different forms of creative clustering.

A central aim across these strands is to bridge academic research and policy practice by generating evidence that informs place-based policymaking and supports more inclusive and balanced regional development.

Methodologically, my research is primarily quantitative, using large-scale datasets including online job postings, LinkedIn employment histories, BACS transactions (bank transfers), and survey data. I am also keen to further develop mixed-method and qualitative approaches.

Before joining the University of Sussex Business School in 2025, I completed my PhD in Economic Geography at the School of Management, University of Bath (2022–2025). I also hold an MSc in Finance from Fudan University (2018–2020), a BSc in Economics (2014–2018), and a BA in Modern Languages from Wuhan University (2015–2018).

Prior to academia, I gained two years of industry experience as a Senior Consulting Analyst at Accenture (2020–2022).

Have we met? Happy to connect!