Finding Inequalities in Europe in the Era of Global Megatrends
Addressing inequalities in light of emerging mega trends in the EU, especially in terms of Economic, Social and Spatial Inequalities.
Addressing inequalities in light of emerging mega trends in the EU, especially in terms of Economic, Social and Spatial Inequalities.
The EU-funded ESSPIN project investigates policy responses to social, economic and spatial inequalities in the EU in the context of emerging mega trends (e.g., economic growth, energy issues, connectivity/digital disruption, urbanisation, climate change). It adopts a holistic approach to identify links between inequality drivers, outcomes, and policy recommendations based on inclusivity.
Mega trends are long-term transformations that shape economies, societies, and territories across Europe, often affecting large populations and deepening existing disparities. ESSPIN examines how major developments such as economic growth, energy challenges, connectivity and digital disruption, urbanisation, and climate change interact with social, economic, and spatial inequalities in the European Union. Rather than looking at these issues in isolation, the project adopts a holistic approach to understand how different drivers of inequality are interconnected and how they influence people and places in different ways.
Through comparative research across multiple European countries, ESSPIN investigates how inequalities emerge, persist, and evolve in the context of these structural changes. The project pays particular attention to the links between economic conditions, territorial imbalances, access to services and opportunities, and the capacity of communities and institutions to respond to change. It also analyses how policy frameworks at different levels can either reduce inequalities or unintentionally reinforce them.
By mapping the relationships between inequality drivers, social and territorial outcomes, and policy responses, ESSPIN builds an evidence base for more inclusive and effective policymaking. Its goal is to support the development of strategies that not only address present disparities but also strengthen long-term social, economic, and territorial cohesion across the EU. In this way, ESSPIN contributes to a better understanding of how Europe can respond to global megatrends while ensuring that no people or places are left behind.
• Total project budget / EU contribution (€2,674,000) • Number and diversity of participating institutions (11 participants + partners incl. ALDA/LSE listed in project materials) • Research and technical staff engaged across consortium • Number of deliverables produced (D2–D39 listed) • Policy briefs / MOOC / open-access outputs generated • Evidence of uptake by policymakers, NGOs, local/regional actors
• Horizon Europe funding (€2,674,000; 100% EU contribution as listed on CORDIS) • Multi-country consortium of universities, research institutes and civil society networks • Academic expertise in economics, geography, regional studies, inequality, policy analysis • Administrative/project management and communication resources
• Research on economic, social and spatial inequalities under mega-trends • Surveys, Delphi, databases, modelling/scenario work, case studies, policy analysis • Production of reports, policy briefs, open-access outputs, capacity-building (MOOC) • Stakeholder communication and dissemination through website and consortium networks
• Extensive set of deliverables across WPs 1–8 (reports, database, relational matrix/open-access platform, policy briefs, MOOC, ethics/data management documents) • New evidence and tools on inequality drivers and policy responses • Cross-country comparative knowledge base
• Better understanding of economic costs and mechanisms of inequality • Improved evidence base for policymakers and institutions designing cohesion/social/development policies • Potential improvements in policy targeting and resource allocation
• Indirect contribution to more inclusive growth, productivity, workplace well-being, and stronger policy efficiency in the EU, as stated in ESSPIN’s impact framing • Long-term economic value through policy learning beyond the project cycle
• Deliverables addressing public goods and health services/health inequalities (e.g., WP2-related outputs) • References to health service access, resilience, and inequality in reports • Evidence of policy recommendations touching health equity or service provision
• Multidisciplinary expertise (social policy, economics, regional analysis) • Funding and research infrastructure • Comparative data and survey work
• Analysis of public goods provision, shocks (pandemic/climate), inequality and resilience • Policy analysis and recommendations
• Reports and evidence on inequality/public goods/health-service related dimensions • Policy briefs and dissemination materials
• Improved policy understanding of how inequality and external shocks affect health/service access • Better capacity to design more inclusive public-service responses
• Potential long-term indirect contribution to health equity through improved policy design; no direct measurable ecological restoration or clinical health outcomes evidenced in provided material
• Number of reports/policy analyses addressing climate change/green transition • Inclusion of environmental sustainability in analytical framework and case studies • Policy recommendations related to green transition and inequalities • Dissemination outputs raising awareness on climate-related inequality challenges
• Research funding and consortium expertise in economics, geography, policy, environment-related social science • Data and modelling capacity
• Analysis of climate change as a mega-trend affecting inequalities • Study of green transition policy impacts, barriers, and distributional effects • Scenario and policy assessment work
• Deliverables on pandemic/digital/green transitions and inequality • Policy-relevant evidence on social/spatial effects of greener policy mixes • Dissemination and policy briefs
• Better understanding of trade-offs between climate/green policies and inequality • Improved capacity for more equitable climate and transition policies
• Indirect contribution to better long-term climate policy design; no direct project-level emissions reductions demonstrated in provided materials
• Number of data/methodological outputs (database, relational matrix, open-access platform) • Adoption/use of platform or outputs by external actors (if documented) • Number of policy briefs, toolkits, MOOCs and dissemination products • Replication/citation of methods by external institutions
• Multidisciplinary research and modelling expertise • Data infrastructure and project management systems • Horizon Europe funding and inter-institutional collaboration
• Build integrated conceptual and analytical framework • Develop database linking inequality levels/types across scales • Develop relational matrix and open-access platform for scenario estimation • Analyze digitalization / Industry 4.0 transformations and policy implications
• Database and platform outputs (WP1/WP6 deliverables) • Reports on technology transformations and inequality • Communication toolkit and MOOC for transfer/capacity building
• Improved technical capacity to analyze inequality under different scenarios • Stronger evidence-based policymaking tools for researchers and institutions • Potential reuse of methods and data infrastructure beyond project life
• Lasting methodological contribution to inequality research and policy analysis ecosystems (especially if platform remains accessible and used)
• Number of inequality-focused deliverables and case studies • Coverage of vulnerable/left-behind groups and places • Policy recommendations targeting equity and inclusion • Stakeholder engagement outputs (policy briefs, MOOC, dissemination) • Evidence of policy uptake/use
• EU funding, consortium expertise across economics/social science/geography/public policy • Civil society network capacity (ALDA) and academic institutions across Europe • Data, surveys, case studies, modelling tools
• Research on drivers of inequality (pre-/in-/post-market + external shocks) • Analysis of policy effectiveness and policy failure in left-behind places • Case studies and comparative analyses across EU contexts • Dissemination to policymakers, NGOs, researchers, and public
• Reports, databases, case studies, policy briefs, MOOC, website • New evidence and frameworks for understanding and addressing inequalities
• Better policy design capacity to reduce inequality and improve inclusion • Raised awareness among policymakers and society • Improved identification of intervention areas for social actors and NGOs
• Potential contribution to a more equal and inclusive European society and more effective social/cohesion policies (as stated in project impact section) • Long-term strengthening of social cohesion through evidence-based policy improvements
the provided materials do not include explicit project-specific labour conditions metrics
the provided materials do not include explicit project-specific labour conditions metrics
the provided materials do not include explicit project-specific labour conditions metrics
the provided materials do not include explicit project-specific labour conditions metrics
the provided materials do not include explicit project-specific labour conditions metrics
ESSPIN is implemented by established universities/research institutes and a civil society organisation under Horizon Europe governance, suggesting formal institutional employment standards and compliance frameworks.
• Presence of formal governance/work plan (WP8) • Data Management Plan (D37) • Ethics Document Check (D39) • Clearly defined work packages/deliverables and roles • Consortium composition and coordination arrangements • Communication/dissemination plan and toolkit (WP7)
• EU grant agreement and compliance requirements • Coordinating institution and consortium management structures • Institutional partners with established governance systems
• Work package planning, reporting, coordination, ethics and data compliance • Consortium meetings and quality assurance • Dissemination and stakeholder communication
• D37 Data Management Plan; D39 Ethics Document Check; WP plans and deliverables • Transparent deliverables structure and formal documentation
• Strong project accountability, traceability, and ethical compliance • Reliable execution across multiple institutions/countries
• Reinforced institutional capacity for transnational research governance and policy-oriented collaboration
ESSPIN includes participation-oriented elements through ALDA (multistakeholder network), policy briefs, communication toolkit, MOOC/capacity building, and policy-focused dissemination. However, based on the provided evidence, stakeholder co-governance/power-sharing is not clearly documented
ESSPIN includes participation-oriented elements through ALDA (multistakeholder network), policy briefs, communication toolkit, MOOC/capacity building, and policy-focused dissemination. However, based on the provided evidence, stakeholder co-governance/power-sharing is not clearly documented
ESSPIN includes participation-oriented elements through ALDA (multistakeholder network), policy briefs, communication toolkit, MOOC/capacity building, and policy-focused dissemination. However, based on the provided evidence, stakeholder co-governance/power-sharing is not clearly documented
ESSPIN includes participation-oriented elements through ALDA (multistakeholder network), policy briefs, communication toolkit, MOOC/capacity building, and policy-focused dissemination. However, based on the provided evidence, stakeholder co-governance/power-sharing is not clearly documented
ESSPIN includes participation-oriented elements through ALDA (multistakeholder network), policy briefs, communication toolkit, MOOC/capacity building, and policy-focused dissemination. However, based on the provided evidence, stakeholder co-governance/power-sharing is not clearly documented
ESSPIN includes participation-oriented elements through ALDA (multistakeholder network), policy briefs, communication toolkit, MOOC/capacity building, and policy-focused dissemination. However, based on the provided evidence, stakeholder co-governance/power-sharing is not clearly documented
• Number of countries/regions covered in analyses/case studies • Deliverables addressing regional/spatial inequalities and place-based policies • National reports and case studies (WP5 outputs) • Evidence of territorial stakeholder engagement
• European multi-country consortium with regional expertise • Comparative datasets and case study methods • Place-based policy analysis frameworks
• Analysis of regional/spatial inequalities and policy responses • Case studies in multiple national contexts • Assessment of place-based strategies and governance systems
• National reports, case studies, synthesis reports, place-based strategy assessments • Evidence on regional disparities and policy effectiveness
• Better understanding of territorial inequalities and left-behind places • Improved policy tools for regional and local intervention
• Potential long-term contribution to stronger territorial cohesion and more effective place-based policy in the EU
• Number of reports, policy briefs, open-access publications • MOOC development and participation (if data available) • Communication toolkit/website outputs • Public and stakeholder engagement events/materials • Diversity of target audiences
• Academic consortium and teaching/research institutions • Communication and dissemination resources (WP7) • Digital platforms and training development capacity
• Research dissemination, policy communication, capacity building • Development of MOOC and communication toolkit • Public-facing website and policy briefs
• ESSPIN Policy Briefs, MOOC, communication toolkit, website, reports • Knowledge resources for multiple stakeholder groups
• Increased awareness and understanding of inequality drivers and policy options • Enhanced capacity among policymakers/social actors to interpret and use evidence • Educational spillovers in partner universities and networks
• Institutionalized knowledge resources and lasting cognitive impact if MOOC and materials remain available/used after project end
• Deliverables addressing demographic dynamics, aging, intergenerational inequalities • References to age-group barriers in policy analyses • Youth/student involvement in research/training/MOOC
• Consortium universities and research training environments • Data and demographic analysis expertise
• Research on aging, demographic change, intergenerational inequality • Scenario analysis and long-term policy recommendations • Capacity building and dissemination
• Reports on demographic dynamics and inequality • Policy recommendations considering future and age-group impacts
• Improved understanding of intergenerational effects of inequality and policy choices • Better future-oriented policy framing
• Indirect contribution to long-term, more equitable policymaking across generations
• Total budget and EU contribution (€2,674,000) • Multi-partner budget allocations and costs • Delivery of planned outputs within project framework • Presence of work plan, DMP, ethics and dissemination structures • Post-project continuity of platform/MOOC/resources
• Horizon Europe grant funding and consortium financial management systems • Institutional co-management capacity across partners
• Budget allocation across WPs, deliverables, staffing, dissemination, compliance • Financial reporting and project administration
• Funded project execution across 2022–2025 with numerous deliverables • Structured governance and reporting documents
• Financially stable implementation during grant period • Strong credibility and accountability for publicly funded research delivery
• Lasting value mainly via knowledge, tools, and policy capacity rather than recurring revenues/investor attraction