Niels Beerepoot

I am associate professor in Economic Geography at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research. In February 2005, I defended my PhD thesis titled "Collective Learning in Small Enterprise Clusters: Skilled Workers, Labour Market Dynamics and Knowledge Accumulation in the Philippine Furniture Industry" at the University of Amsterdam. Since then I held various positions at the University of Amsterdam.

My research interests include: service outsourcing and offshoring, premature deindustrialisation, employability and Future of Work, new middle class formation in the Global South, online freelancing/microwork, impact sourcing and ICT4D. I have conducted extensive empirical research in the Philippines. My current regional focus is on South (India) and Southeast Asia (Philippines). I am the executive editor of Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie (Journal of Economic and Social Geography) and the chair of the Dutch National Committee of the International Geographical Union.

From to 2011 to 2016 I was the project leader of the NWO-WOTRO Integrated-Programme project on understanding the local outcomes of the emergence of the offshore service sector in Mumbai and Manila. This project is a collaboration with researchers from the University of Mumbai and the University of the Philippines and concentrates on the patterns of offshore service sector development in both cities, access to employment and chances for upward labour mobility, the induced and indirect effects and wider social implications in both cities.

Visiting positions

• Durham University (6 months, 2006)
• Tata Institute of Social Science in Mumbai (2.5 months, 2009), funded by NWO-ICSSR Social Science Cooperation Programme India-Netherlands
• University of the Philippines-School of Labour and Industrial Relations in Manila (2 months, 2015), funded by University of the Philippines Visiting Scholar programme.
• Visiting lecturer (2010-2013, 2018) at FHR Lim a Po Institute (Suriname) and the German University of Technology (Oman) for short courses on Globalisation and Regional Development.

Current and recent research projects

Digital freelancing and impact sourcing 
A new form of service outsourcing has rapidly expanded in recent years, namely the digital labour platforms for freelance contractors. Digital labour platforms provide a great opportunity to cut-off intermediaries in global value chains and directly outsource digital work to individuals (contractors) in developing countries. They can bring service outsourcing within the reach of small firms and individuals (as clients and contractors) and lead to a redefinition of work organisation through the formation of virtual teams that consist of individuals from around the world. This research explores how digital labour platforms can be utilised for reaching new groups who fall outside the traditional scope for service outsourcing and whether they can hereby contribute to impact sourcing objectives. 

WOTRO Integrated Programme (2011-2016)
Contemporary globalisation is increasingly referred to as hierarchical integration in a new international division of labour. This project concentrates on contemporary globalisation by means of the international expansion of offshore service delivery. Offshore service delivery is still at an early stage of development and there is limited knowledge on the scope and magnitude of this particular form of globalisation. To what extent this follows different patterns compared to industrial offshoring, with regard to issues such as the embeddedness of production and opportunities for upgrading and upward labour mobility has, so far, not been a subject of in-depth analysis. Furthermore, limited knowledge is available on the enclave-nature of contemporary globalisation and whether it strengthens inequalities between people who benefit from the new economic opportunities and those who are confronted with various forms of exclusion.
See other page for details

Integration of Indian ICT-ITES companies in the Dutch service outsourcing market (2014, funded by Platform Outsourcing Nederland)
This research focused on the entry strategy and integration of Indian ICT-ITES companies in the Dutch service outsourcing market.  

Union Challenges and Strategies to Engage Contract Workers in Developing Countries (2012-2013, funded by CNV Internationaal)
Based on empirical research in 2 African countries (Senegal and Togo) and 2 Asian countries (Cambodia and Indonesia) this research examined how trade unions can respond to the challenges of dealing with an increasingly flexible and fragmented labour force.