Critical Infrastructures and Their Impact on Regional Economic Resilience

This paper examines the geography of critical infrastructures (CIs) and their relationship with regional resilience across EU NUTS-2 regions. Building on the regional resilience literature, which conceptualises resilience as a multidimensional capacity to absorb, adapt, and transform in response to shocks, we ask whether the stock and composition of critical infrastructures are systematically associated with these capacities. We construct a composite indicator of CI stock using multi-source georeferenced data on transport, energy, ICT, and public services, combining per-capita, per-area, and populated-grid measures. Indicators are standardised and aggregated using equal weights, and we assess robustness through alternative data-driven weighting schemes (PCA and entropy). To capture infrastructural heterogeneity beyond simple core–periphery divides, we develop regional typologies via k-means clustering. Regional resilience is measured through a composite index derived from the EU Regional Competitiveness Index, following established composite-indicator procedures. Regression results show pronounced spatial disparities and sectoral imbalances in CI provision, alongside a positive and statistically significant association between CI stock and regional resilience, robust to alternative weighting and controls. To address endogeneity concerns, we complement the baseline analysis with an instrumental-variable robustness check exploiting the long-run spatial persistence of Roman road infrastructure, which supports the main findings. Overall, the paper provides a systematic mapping of CI sufficiency and offers evidence that infrastructure endowments are a meaningful correlate of regional resilience in Europe.