Books by Pádraig Carmody

Dominik Kopiński, Pádraig Carmody, Ian Taylor, 2023

What are the impacts of Chinese investment in Africa? Is it transforming economic development on the continent? This book is different from many other studies of this issue, as it unpacks the ‘black box’ of technological and learning spillover effects from Chinese firms to others. Rather than using econometric tools, which have now become a standard approach and come with their own set of challenges, the authors investigate the interactions between Chinese investors and African firms in terms of the transfer of technology and learning and explain why such interactions are rare. Only by understanding the reasons behind this rarity can approaches be developed to promote spillovers.

Pádraig Carmody, Peter Kragelund, Ricardo Reboredo, 2020

For years, economists have spoken of ‘Africa rising’, and despite the global financial crisis, Africa continues to host some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Africa’s Shadow Rise, however, argues that the continent’s apparent economic ‘rise’ is essentially a mirage, driven by developments elsewhere - most particularly the expansion in China's economy. While many African countries have experienced high rates of growth, much of this growth may prove to be unsustainable and has contributed to environmental destruction and worsening inequality across the continent. Similarly, new economic relationships have produced new forms of dependency, as African nations increasingly find themselves tied to the fortunes of China and other emerging powers. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork in southern Africa, Africa’s Shadow Rise reveals how the shifting balance of global power is transforming Africa’s economy and politics and what this means for the future of development efforts in the region. It was shortlisted for the Business Council for Africa's African Business Book of the Year 2023. • Presents a novel framework based on extensive fieldwork in multiple countries and regions of the continent • Examines geopolitical and socioeconomic topics such as manufacturing in African cities, the green economy in Africa, and the impact of China on urban Africa • Discusses the prospects for generative urbanism to produce and sustain long-term development in Africa • Features high-quality maps, illustrations, and photographs It is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students in geography, urban planning, and African studies, academic researchers, geographers, urban planners, and policymakers.