The relational geography of post-staples development: A case in Mala, North Sweden

Mitigating the cycles of 'boom and bust' associated with natural resource led economic development in northern peripheries requires economic diversification through post-extractive 'mature staples' or 'post-staples' activities. The dominant thinking is that resource peripheries are subject to processes of exogenous development, with limited capacity for local agency—endogenous development. This paper argues that it is possible to achieve neoendogenous development that mobilizes local resources and incorporates extra-local factors. The paper examines the case of Malå Geoscience, a small ground penetrating radar company based in a very small community in northern Sweden which has nevertheless achieved global niche positioning through innovation and product diversification. By using the ARTE framework—agglomeration, regionalization, translocalisation, Europeanisation— the paper demonstrates how the company was able to pursue new development paths even as the local mining sector was closing down. There is a particular emphasis on how the maintenance of local and regional knowledge and supply networks enabled the company to remain locally based but globally relevant. Keywords: northern development; resource peripheries; post-staples savings; small manufacturing; niche markets; neoendogenous development PostStaples' relational geography of development: a case in Malå, northern Sweden Abstract Mitigating the 'boom and bust' cycles associated with natural resource-based economic development in the northern peripheries requires economic diversification through activities like ' mature or post-essential commodities'. The dominant idea is that resource peripheries are subject to exogenous development processes, with limited capacity for local agencies — endogenous development. This article argues that it is possible to achieve neo-endogenous development mobilizing local resources and integrating extra-local factors. The paper examines the case of Malå Geoscience, a small ground penetrating radar company based in a very small community in northern Sweden, which has nevertheless achieved global niche positioning through innovation and product diversification. . Using the ARTE framework —agglomeration, regionalization, translocalization, Europeanization— the article shows how the company was able to follow new paths of development even as the local mining sector shut down. Particular emphasis was placed on how maintaining local and regional knowledge and supply networks has enabled the company to remain home-based, yet globally relevant.