Research

I. THE POLITICS OF INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONS

Armstrong, Ben. “Industrial Policy and Local Economic Transformation: Evidence from the U.S. Rust Belt.” Economic Development Quarterly. Vol. 35, No. 3 (August 2021): 181-196. (link)
Armstrong, Ben. “Would Pittsburgh Have Transformed Without State Intervention? A Response to Comments” Economic Development Quarterly. Vol. 35, No. 3 (August 2021): 216-218. (link)
Armstrong, Ben and Dan Traficonte. “Models for Building Regional Manufacturing Economies: From ‘Home Alone’ to ‘Regional Ecosystems.’” Initiative for Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing Paper. August 2021.
Armstrong, Ben and Elisabeth Reynolds. “In Search of the Middle: The Economic Geography of ‘Hollowing Out’ in the United States.” May 2021.
Armstrong, Ben. "Brass Cities: Innovation Policy and Local Economic Transformation." PhD Dissertation. 2019. (link)
Armstrong, Ben. “Broken Anchors: Power and Diversification in ‘Company Towns’.” August 2018.

II. AUTOMATION AND THE WORKFORCE IN MANUFACTURING

Armstrong, Ben. “Lessons for the Long Tail: Robot Adoption at Small and Medium Manufacturers.” Robotics: Science and Systems – Workshop on Accessibility of Robot Programming and Work of the Future (July 2021). (link)
Armstrong, Ben, Suzanne Berger, and Bill Bonvillian. “Advanced Technology, Advanced Training: A New Policy Agenda for U.S. Manufacturing.” Initiative for Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing Paper. May 2021. (link)
Armstrong, Ben. “Survivors and Startups: A Firm-Level Study of Workforce Challenges at U.S. Manufacturers.” MIT Work of the Future Working Paper. February 2021. (link)
Armstrong, Ben and Richard M. Locke. “What Workers Think About Automation: Findings from a National Survey of the American Workforce.” January 2020. (link)

III. REGULATING INNOVATION

Armstrong, Ben. “Regulating Risky Business: The Politics of Safety at Uber in the United States.” February 2020. (link)
Armstrong, Ben. “Will You Let a Robot Give You a Ride? Understanding Popular Perceptions of Autonomous Vehicles.” July 2020. (link)

Commentary

Armstrong, Ben “Why Innovation Hubs Fail.” Boston Review. Forum XIX (Summer 2021).
[Public Radio Forum] “Why is Pittsburgh’s Economy Greater than Cleveland’s?” The Sound of Ideas. 5 August 2021.
Armstrong, Ben. “To Spark a Discussion in a Zoom Class, Try a ‘Silent Meeting.’” The Chronicle of Higher Education. 18 November 2020.
Armstrong, Ben. “Automation, Training, and the Future of Work.” Taubman Center Policy Brief. Brown University. February 2020.
Armstrong, Ben. “Unraveling the Silicon Valley Consensus.” Boston Review. 26 Jul 2016.