Explore our knowledge

Dav­id Castro

Ph.d. Fellow

Subjects
International economics Finance Geopolitics Quantitative methods Green transition Multinational company

Primary research areas

Cor­por­ate Struc­tures in Glob­al Busi­ness
Ana­lyses how mul­tina­tion­al en­ter­prises design and man­age com­plex cor­por­ate struc­tures to co­ordin­ate op­er­a­tions, fin­ance, and de­cision-mak­ing across bor­ders.
Mul­tina­tion­al En­ter­prises and State Sov­er­eignty
Ex­am­ines how MNEs in­flu­ence, ad­apt to, or chal­lenge state au­thor­ity in sec­tors such as en­vir­on­ment, de­fence, and tech­no­logy
Polit­ic­al Eco­nomy of Glob­al Pro­duc­tion/Wealth
Ex­plores how in­ter­na­tion­al trade, in­vest­ment re­gimes, and geo­pol­it­ic­al com­pet­i­tion shape cor­por­ate strategies and cross-bor­der eco­nom­ic gov­ernance.
Stra­tegic Use of Jur­is­dic­tions
In­vest­ig­ates how MNEs lever­age dif­fer­ences in na­tion­al leg­al and reg­u­lat­ory frame­works to op­tim­ise tax­a­tion, com­pli­ance, and stra­tegic po­s­i­tion­ing.
Sus­tain­able Fin­ance
Ex­plores how fin­an­cial in­sti­tu­tions and mar­kets in­teg­rate en­vir­on­ment­al and so­cial con­sid­er­a­tions into in­vest­ment and lend­ing de­cisions, shap­ing the flow of cap­it­al to­ward sustain­ability-ori­ented activ­it­ies and re­de­fin­ing the re­la­tion­ship between fin­ance and eco­lo­gic­al respons­ibility

I ana­lyse the bal­ance of power between glob­al busi­ness and the mod­ern state.

I study how multinational enterprises (MNEs) interact with and influence state authority in the global political economy. My work examines the corporate structures, cross-border ownership networks, and jurisdictional strategies that shape economic sovereignty. 

My research helps: 

Policymakers and regulators understand how MNE strategies affect governance in sectors such as environment, defence, and technology. 

Businesses and civil society anticipate the implications of shifting corporate–state power balances. 

Academics and students explore new frameworks for analysing the political economy of multinational enterprise. 

Impact: 
By mapping how global corporations organise and operate, I contribute to more informed public debate and more effective policy responses to the challenges of transnational governance. 

Outside activities

2025 , -

No out­side activ­it­ies to re­port

Pres­id­ent of the Board, SPOT Nor­d­ic , 2023 -

Serving as Pres­id­ent of the Board of SPOT Nor­d­ic, an as­so­ci­ation for highly skilled Por­tuguese pro­fes­sion­als in the Nor­d­ic coun­tries. The role in­volves stra­tegic lead­er­ship, fos­ter­ing pro­fes­sion­al net­works, and pro­mot­ing cul­tur­al and pro­fes­sion­al ex­change between Por­tugal and the Nor­d­ic re­gion.
SPOT Nordic