“The Smartest Places on Earth- Why Rustbelts are the emerging Hotspots of Global Innovation”

Exploring how the rustbelts form yesterday can be the “brainbelts” of tomorrow, Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker counter recent conventional wisdom that American and northern European economies have lost their initiative in innovation and their competitive edge. Their book, The Smartest Places on Earth- Why Rustbelts are the Emerging Hotspots of Global Innovation, focuses on an unexpected and hopeful trend: the emerging sources of economic strength coming from areas once known as “rustbelts” that had been written off as yesterday’s story. 

Frederick Kempe joined authors Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker for a conversation on the book. A reception and book signing followed the authors’ presentations.