Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
Implications of Remote Working Adoption on Place Based Policies
A Focus on G7 Countries
COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalisation of working and social interactions. Global
lockdowns to contain the pandemic have forced firms and workers to perform a wide
range of daily functions through virtual means. This has led to greater uptake and
acceptance of remote working, which will likely remain in the post-pandemic scenario.
Governments and policy responses at the local and regional level can play a decisive
role in supporting workers and firms in this transition. This report proposes a number
of policy takeaways to guide short and long-term policy making to better prepare regions
for what may be a ‘new normal’. The report relies on real-time subnational data to
analyse changes in people’s mobility patterns and the determinants of remote working
adoption across types of workers and regions. The report identifies different scenarios
of settlement patterns that could emerge post-COVID-19, highlighting how changing
patterns of work could impact on regional development and a range of policy areas,
including infrastructure, healthcare and the environment.