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Lotte Thom­sen

Associate Professor

Subjects
Supply chain Value chain Sustainability Geopolitics Globalisation Asia

Primary research areas

Glob­al value chains and glob­al pro­duc­tion net­works
I fo­cus on dif­fer­ent as­pects of glob­al value chains and glob­al pro­duc­tion net­works, in­clud­ing re­tail and pro­duc­tion geo­graph­ies, and gov­ernance. I of­ten ex­plore the re­lated eco­nom­ic, so­cial and en­vir­on­ment­al ef­fects in the Glob­al South. In­dustry fo­cus is mainly on ap­par­el, gem­stones and gold.
Geo­graph­ies of as­so­ci­ation and dis­so­ci­ation
My work on ori­gin­a­tion uses the concept of geo­graph­ies of dis/as­so­ci­ation, which frames how com­mod­it­ies and con­sumer products are as­so­ci­ated with pos­it­ive mat­ters and par­tic­u­lar places, while at the same time dis­so­ci­ated from places and prac­tices that are dam­aging for sales and brand repu­ta­tion.
State roles in glob­al pro­duc­tion net­works and glob­al value chains
Na­tion states in sup­pli­er coun­tries take on vari­ous roles in glob­al value chains and glob­al pro­duc­tion net­works, as they aim to re­spond to vari­ous glob­al dy­nam­ics. My re­search of­ten aims to un­der­stand and frame such roles in the ever-chan­ging glob­al pro­duc­tion land­scape.

My re­search aims to cast new light on the con­tem­por­ary dy­nam­ics of glob­al pro­duc­tion.

 It fosters discussions on the present and future of globalisation in increasingly complex and fast-changing geopolitical landscapes. My approach is to pinpoint the effects on businesses, people and nature.

I am an economic geographer primarily interested in the dynamics and effects of global value chains, focusing on the clothing, jewellery, gemstone and gold sectors. I often explore issues of value creation and value capture, as well as the economic, social and environmental impacts of global production. Empirically, my work mainly revolves around the strategies and practices of lead firms in Europe and suppliers in Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. Current projects are concerned with the changing dynamics of global production in the age of polycrisis and geopolitical change. 

My Research aims to:
- Help companies and organisations to understand and consider the local and global impacts of production and trading activities. 
- Cast light on complex sustainability challenges across geographies. 
- Generate new knowledge on industry challenges and impacts in the current geopolitical context. 
- Pinpoint global inequalities in the contemporary global economic landscape.