Dr. Martin Sokol
Associate Professor, Geography
Biography
Martin Sokol is Associate Professor in Geography at Trinity College Dublin and the Director of the Finance, Economy, Society (FES) Research Group. Martin is a founding member of the Global Network on Financial Geography (FinGeo) and served as its Secretary. Martin's current research focuses on geographies of finance, financialisation, central banks and climate justice.
Martin has an undergraduate degree from the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, Slovakia and a Masters degree from the University of Grenoble, France. He received his doctorate from Newcastle University, UK, undertaking his PhD in the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS). Martin was involved in several major research projects, while holding research and teaching posts at University College Dublin (UCD), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and University College London (UCL), among others. He joined Trinity College Dublin in 2013.
Martin was a Principal Investigator of the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant on new geographies of financialisation - GEOFIN - https://geofinresearch.eu
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Stephens, Jennie C., Sokol, Martin, Financial innovation for climate justice: central banks and transformative `creative disruption'., Climate and Development, 2023, p1-12
Bobek, Alicja, Mikuš, Marek, Sokol, Martin, Making sense of the financialization of households: state of the art and beyond, Socio-Economic Review, 21, (4), 2023, p2233-2258
Sokol, M., Financialisation, central banks and 'new' state capitalism: The case of the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England., Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space., 2022
Sokol, M. and Pataccini, L. , Financialisation, regional economic development and the coronavirus crisis: a time for spatial monetary policy?, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 15, (1), 2021, p75 - 92
Lai, K.P.Y., Pan, F., Sokol, M., Wójcik, D., New financial geographies of Asia, Regional Studies, 54, (2), 2020, p143 - 148
Martin Sokol, Leonardo Pataccini, Winners And Losers In Coronavirus Times: Financialisation, Financial Chains and Emerging Economic Geographies of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 111, (3), 2020, p401 - 415
Martin Sokol, Financialisation, financial chains and uneven geographical development: Towards a research agenda, Research in International Business and Finance, 39, (1), 2017, p678 - 685
Sokol, M.(ed.), Where evolutionary-institutional theory of regional economic development meets the post-socialist reality of Central and Eastern Europe: Building Silicon Valleys in Slovakia, In: Nijkamp, P., Kourtit, K., Bucek, M. and O. Hudec (Eds.) 5th Central European Conference in Regional Science Conference Proceedings, Kosice, Slovakia, 2015, Technical University of Kosice, 2015
Sokol, M. and Vigne, S., DATABASE : DEBT IN EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE, 1, Trinity College Dublin, 2015
Sokol, M.(ed.), Financialisation, financial chains and uneven geographical development in Europe: Towards a research agenda., 13th INFINITI Conference on International Finance, Ljubljana, Slovenia, June 2015, INFINITI, 2015
Sokol, M. , Silicon Valley in Eastern Slovakia? Neo-liberalism, knowledge economy and post-socialism., Europe-Asia Studies, 65, (7), 2013, p1324 - 1343
Sokol, M., Silicon Valley in Eastern Slovakia? Neoliberalism, Post-Socialism and the Knowledge Economy, Europe - Asia Studies, 65, (7), 2013, p1324-1343
Sokol, M., Towards a "newer" economic geography? Injecting finance and finacialization into economic geographies, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 6, (3), 2013, p501 - 515
van Egeraat, C., Sokol, M., Stafford, P., Greater Dublin in the Celtic Tiger Economy: Towards a Polycentric Mega-City Region?, The Polycentric Metropolis: Learning from Mega-City Regions in Europe, 2012, p187-194
Sokol, M. , Economic Geographies of Globalisation: A Short Introduction., 1, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2011, 198pp
Sokol, M., Van Egeraat, C., Williams, B., Revisiting the 'informational city': Space of flows, polycentricity and the geography of knowledge-intensive business services in the emerging global city-region of Dublin, Regional Studies, 42, (8), 2008, p1133-1146
Hoyler, Michael, Kloosterman, Robert C., Sokol, Martin, Polycentric puzzles - Emerging mega-city regions seen through the lens of advanced producer services, Regional Studies, 42, (8), 2008, p1055-1064
Hoyler, M., Kloosterman, R.C., Sokol, M., Polycentric puzzles - Emerging Mega-City Regions seen through the lens of advanced producer services, Regional Studies, 42, (8), 2008, p1055-1064
Sokol, Martin, Van Egeraat, Chris, Williams, Brendan, Revisiting the 'informational city': Space of flows, polycentricity and the geography of knowledge-intensive business services in the emerging global city-region of Dublin, Regional Studies, 42, (8), 2008, p1133-1146
Sokol, M., Space of flows, uneven regional development, and the geography of financial services in Ireland, Growth and Change, 38, (2), 2007, p224-259
Sokol, Martin, Space of flows, uneven regional development, and the geography of financial services in Ireland, Growth and Change, 38, (2), 2007, p224-259
Rochovská, A., Blažek, M., Sokol, M., Adding quality to geography: On the importance of qualitative research in human geography | Ako zlepši" kvalitu geografie: O dôležitosti kvalitatívneho výskumu v humánnej geografii, Geograficky Casopis, 59, (4), 2007, p323-358
Convery, F.J., McInerney, D., Sokol, M., Stafford, P., Organizing space in a dynamic economy: Insights for policy from the Irish experience, Built Environment, 32, (2), 2006, p172-183
Sokol, M., The 'knowledge economy': A critical view, Regional Economies as Knowledge Laboratories, 2005, p216-231
Sokol, M, Knowledge economy: Issues and challenges, Ekonomicky Casopis, 50, (1), 2002, p85-106
Sokol, M., Knowledge economy: Issues and challenges | Poznatková ekonomika: Problémy a výzvy, Ekonomicky casopis, 50, (1), 2002, p85-106
Sokol, M., Central and Eastern Europe a decade after the fall of state-socialism: Regional dimensions of transition processes, Regional Studies, 35, (7), 2001, p645-655
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Sokol, M. and Stephens, J.C., Central Banks Should Be Fighting the Climate Crisis - Here's Why, The Conversation, (January 4), 2024
Pataccini, L. and Sokol, M., Green monetary and financial policies: missing geographies?, Paper for the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). Session: Geographies of Monetary Policy I: Crisis, Inequality and Financial Power., Denver, USA, and online, 23-27 March 2023., 2023
Stephens, J.C. and Sokol, M., Why the Fed should treat climate change's $150B economic toll like other national crises it's helped fight, The Conversation, (November 29), 2023
Stephens, J. C. and Sokol, M., Financial innovations for sustainable economies and transformative social justice., Presented at the joint 5th SCORAI ((Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative) and 21st ERSCP (The European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production) Conference "Transforming consumption-production systems toward just and sustainable futures", Session: A01: Beyond Growth: Structural Changes for Sustainable Consumption and Production., Wageningen, Netherlands (and online), 5-8 July 2023., 2023
Sokol, M. and Stephens, J.C., Monetary Policy, Climate Crisis & Inequality: A Climate Justice Approach., Paper for the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). Session: Geographies of Monetary Policy I: Crisis, Inequality and Financial Power., Denver, USA, and online, 23-27 March 2023, 2023
Sokol, M. and Stephens J.C., Financial Innovation for Just Transitions, Climate Justice, & Fossil Fuel Phaseout: A Critical Role for Monetary Policy & Central Banks., Presented at Conference of Irish Geographers (CIG) 2023, Session 'Just Transitions to/for Sustainability', Wexford, Ireland, 16-19 May., 2023
Stephens, J. C. and Sokol, M., Financial Innovation for Sustainability Transformation, Climate Justice, & Fossil Fuel Phaseout: A Critical Role for Monetary Policy & Central Banks., Presented at the 14th annual International Sustainability Transitions (IST) conference 2023 "Responsibility and reflexivity in transitions"., Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2023, 2023
Sokol, M., Financial chains in financialized economies: the role of central banks, Poster presentation for the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), New York, USA (virtual), 25 February-1 March, 2022
Sokol, M., The (post-)pandemic city: A vicious circle scenario., Paper for the 52nd Annual Conference of Irish Geographers (CIG), Themed session: Sustainable City Futures: COVID & Beyond., Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 18-21 May, 2021
Sokol, M., Fernandez, R. and Pataccini, L. , Financialisation, post-pandemic central banking and regional and urban recovery: A turning point for monetary policy? , Regional Studies Association Global E-Festival - Regions in Recovery: Building Sustainable Futures. Special session 34: FinGeo - Financial Geographies of Regional and Urban Recovery, online, 2-18 June, 2021
Fernandez, R., Sokol, M. and Pataccini, L., Subordinate financialization in the European (semi-)periphery: The European Central Bank and the uneven monetary integration of East-Central Europe, 33rd Annual SASE Meeting, Virtual Conference - After Covid? Critical Conjunctures and Contingent Pathways of Contemporary Capitalism, online, 2-5 July, 2021
Dal Maso, G. and Sokol, M., Western European Banking Groups in East-Central Europe: A Preliminary Overview, Paper for the 6th FinGeo Global Seminar (Geography, Finance and Uneven Development). Special session: Finance and uneven development in Eastern Europe, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 15-17 May 2019, 2019
Sokol, M. , Networks of 'Financial Chains': Linking Finance, Geography and Uneven Development, Paper for the 6th FinGeo Global Seminar (Geography, Finance and Uneven Development), Special session: Finance and uneven development in Eastern Europe, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil,, 15-17 May 2019, 2019
Sokol, M., Financial Networks and Urban Networks in the International Division of Labour: A 'Financial Chains' Perspective, Paper for the 6th FinGeo Global Seminar (Geography, Finance and Uneven Development). Special panel session: Financial Networks and Urban Networks in the International Division of Labour, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 15-17 May 2019, 2019
Sokol, M., New Spaces of Financialisation: Financial Chains in East-Central Europe. , Fifth FinGeo Global Seminar "European Spaces of Financialization", Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, 28-29 May 2018, 2018
Sokol, M., Financial chains and new geographies of financialisation in East-Central Europe, Paper for the Fifth Global Conference on Economic Geography (GCEG), Specialist session on: Finance and financialisation in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, 24-28 July 2018, 2018
Sokol, M. , Financialisation of housing in the European 'semi-periphery': A 'financial chains' approach, Paper for "The financialization of housing in the semi-periphery" Workshop, Central European University (CEU), Budapest, Hungary, 20-22 July 2018, 2018
Dal Maso, G. and Sokol, M. , Western Banks in post-socialist East-Central Europe: Towards new perspectives on financialisation, Paper for the Finance & Society Network "Futures of Finance and Society" Conference, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, 6-7 December 2018, 2018
Sokol, M., GEOFIN - Western Banks in Eastern Europe: New Geographies of Financialisation. , Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), New Orleans, USA, 10-14 April 2018., 2018
Sokol, M., Financialising Eastern Europe: A Financial Chains Approach, Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting 2017 (Specialist session: European Financial Geographies in Flux), Boston, USA, 5th -9th April 2017, 2017
Sokol, M., Western banks in Eastern Europe: New geographies of financialisation (GEOFIN research agenda). GEOFIN Working Paper No. 1., 2017
Sokol, M., Financial chains: a good idea?, Financial Geography Lab 2017 (Forschungswerkstatt Finanzgeographie), Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Frankfurt, Germany, 9th - 10th November , 2017
Sokol, M., New Geographies of Financialisation, Invited guest lecture for the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU International Lecture Series: Space - Society - Economy, Theme: Glocal Transformations), Eichstätt, Germany, 1st February, 2017, 2017, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Sokol, M., Beyond Global Financial Networks: Financial Chains and Regional Development, Regional Studies Association (RSA) Winter Conference 2016 , London, UK, 24th -25th November , 2016
Sokol, M., Financial Geography - Financial Chains: New Departures, The 14th INFINITI Conference on International Financ, Dublin, Ireland, 13-14 June 2016, 2016
Sokol, M., From Global Financial Networks to Financial Chains: Some preliminary tho, The 33rd International Geographical Congress (IGC) of the International Geographical Union (IGU), Beijing, China, 21-25 August 2016, 2016
Sokol, M., Financialisation, financial chains and uneven geographical development in Europe: Towards a research agenda, The 13th INFINITI Conference on International Finance, Ljubljana, Slovenia , 8-9 June 2015, 2015
Sokol, M., Sustainability and the reconstruction of finance: A sceptical view, The13th INFINITI Conference on International Finance, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 8-9 June 2015, 2015
Sokol, M., Finance, Post-Socialism and Crisis: Critical Reflections, AAG Annual Meeting, Tampa, Florida, USA, April 2014, 2014
Sokol, M., Can Silicon Valley be replicated in post-socialist Eastern Europe?, CIG Annual Conference , Dublin, Ireland , May 2014, 2014
Research Expertise
Description
Economic geography; Geographies of finance; Central banks; Climate justice.Projects
- Title
- GEOFIN
- Summary
- Western Banks in Eastern Europe: New Geographies of Financialisation Web: https://geofinresearch.eu (ERC Grant Agreement No. 683197)
- Funding Agency
- ERC
- Date From
- 2016
- Date To
- 2022
- Title
- Searching for sustainable finance: geographies of financialization and debt in post-socialist East Central Europe (GEOFIN)
- Summary
- Aim : The key aim of the project is to develop a new, geographically-informed, theoretical framework for understanding socio-economic change in post-socialist East-Central Europe in the context of financialisation. Objective: To achieve the above aim, the overarching objective is to fuse two distinctive fields of geographical inquiry: the study of geographies of finance and financialization on the one hand, and geographical studies of post-socialist transformations on the other. These two fields of geographical study have contributed a lot to our understanding of two fundamental processes that have reshaped Europe and the world: (1) financialization (i.e. the process of growing role of finance in the economy and society) in the West, and (2) the transformation of economies and societies following the collapse of communism (state-socialism) in the East. However, to date, these two processes have been largely studied in isolation from each other, in geography and other social sciences alike. The key hypothesis of this project is that these two processes are interrelated in a number of ways and that they are mutually constitutive. The project therefore postulates that it is impossible to fully understand socio-economic change in post-socialist Europe without taking into account the implications of financialization; and, likewise, that it is impossible to fully understand the process of financialization without considering the implications stemming from the collapse of state-socialism. It is therefore expected that the project will have impact on both these fields of inquiry. Indeed, while building a new framework for understanding the post-socialist change is a prime concern, it is expected that the project will also feed into the debates on financialization. In doing so, it will contribute to the search of sustainable financial futures in Europe.
- Funding Agency
- Enterprise Ireland
- Date From
- 19/12/2014
- Date To
- 20/11/2015
- Title
- The Regional Studies Association Research Network on Financial Geographies (FinGeo)
- Summary
- This project will allow FinGeo Network to organise the first ever global seminar series in financial geography.
- Funding Agency
- Regional Studies Association (RSA)
- Date From
- 2015
- Date To
- 2018
Recognition
Awards and Honours
Champions of EU Research
Memberships
Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG)
Economic Geography Research Group (EGRG)
Association of American Geographers (AAG)
Regional Studies Association (RSA)
Geographical Society of Ireland (GSI)
Research network on geographies of finance and post-socialist transformations
Global Network on Financial Geography (FinGeo)
Climate Social Science Network (CSSN)
All Island Climate and Biodiversity Research Network (AICBRN)