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Kirsten Martinus

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Kirsten Martinus

Dr, PhD Curtin, BEc W.Aust., DipInterpreting Jap/Eng, Director of Future Regions Lab

 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9727-7310

  • The University of Western Australia (M257), 35 Stirling Highway,

    6009 Perth

    Australia

Personal profile

Biography

ABOUT

I am the Director of the Future Regions Lab, and Professor of Economic Geography at the School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia. Prior to academia, I spent 20 years as an economic development and strategic consultant for local and state governments, working internationally across Australia, the United States, Indonesia, and Japan. My research focuses on the global distribution of resources—particularly mining (critical minerals), energy and agriculture—and the drivers of regional competitiveness and uneven development. A central strand of my work examines innovation in the peripheries and net‑zero transitions in mining and resource industries, including global supply chains for critical minerals and battery industries.

I have won multiple large competitive research grants including from the Australian Research Council (ARC), and am Chair of the Australian Academy of Sciences National Committee for Geographical Sciences. I am on the editorial board of 5 leading international journals, including the Subject Editor for Progress in Economic Geography, and the national co-convener of the Institute of Australian Geographers Economic Geography Study Group. I am regularly asked for comment by media and have published over 95 research outputs in leading scholarly journals, as book chapters, and produced industry reports for National, State and local governments.

Roles and responsibilities

- Australian Academy of Sciences, National Committee for Geographical Sciences, Deputy Chair (2023-2026), Committee Member (2017-2023)

- Institute of Australian Geographers Council, Ordinary Committee Member (2023- ongoing), Honorary Secretary (2020-2022)

- Institute of Australian Geographers Economic Geography Study Group, Co-Covenor (2017- ongoing)

- Geographical Research, Editorial Board Member (2018- ongoing)

- Global Networks, Editorial Board Member (2022- ongoing)

- Progress in Economic Geography, Editorial Board Member (2022 - ongoing)

- Applied Geography, Editorial Board Member (2022 - ongoing)

-Graduate Research Coordinator, School of Social Sciences (2020 - ongoing)

- Australian Social Networks Analysis Committee President (2021); Committee Member (2017-ongoing)

Funding overview

Select funding awards:

  1. Martinus, K. (2021) Battery Industry Stage 1 for Future Batteries Industries CRC.
  2. Martinus, K. (2021) Kwinana Refinery knowledge flows. BHP NickelWest.
  3. Martinus, K., Pauli, N., Kragt, M. & Heyworth, J. (2020) Novel virus and landscape restructure: human as hosts, vectors and agents of environmental change. Downforce, Oxford, UK.
  4. Martinus, K. & Wilson, J.(2019) Future Batteries Industries Cooperation Research Centre (FBI-CRC): Governance Pilot Study for Future Batteries Industries CRC.
  5. Martinus, K. & Boruff, B. (2019) Agritourism in the South-West of Western Australia: A Preliminary Investigation. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, CRC Honey Bee Products. 
  6. Martinus, K. (2018) UWA Fellowship Support Grant for Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Award (DECRA) activities. 
  7. Biermann, S., Olaru, D., Martinus, K., Smith, B., Cardell-Oliver, R., Sun, C., & Standing, C. (2018) RailSmart Wanneroo. In collaboration with City of Wanneroo (2018-2021) of Federal Government Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. Winner of Federal Government Award for Best Integration of an Individual Technology https://smart-cities.com.au/awards/2019-winners/
  8. Denham, T., Dodson, J., Kellet, J., Martinus, K., Maginn, P., Whitzman, C., Hamilton, C. & Palm, M. (2018) NGAA Transformational Projects. Specially commissioned report by National Growth Areas Alliance and the City of Whittlesea. 
  9. Martinus, K. (2017-2020) Labour Proximities in Institutionally-Thin Innovative Peripheries. Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Award (DECRA, Project No. DE170100727) (2017-2019). 
  10. Tonts, M., Derudder, B., Sigler, T., Martinus, K. & Searle, G. (2017-2021) The Globalising Economies of Australian Cities. Australian Research Council Discovery Award (2017-2020, Project No. DP170104359). 
  11. Sigler, T. & Martinus, K. (2015) Brisbane as Globally Connected City. University of Queensland and University of Western Australia collaborative project. Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane Queensland. 

Current projects

1. Corporate Geographies
2. Innovation precincts, Smart Cities
3. Resource Economies and uneven development

4. innovation and the peripheries

Teaching overview

GEOG2203 - Regions in Transition; GEOG2204 - International Field Work in Geography; GEOG3302 Local Places, Global Contexts; GEOG3306 - Regional Development and Planning; PLNG5411- Urban and Regional Analysis; PLNG1101 - Geographies of Global Cities; GEOG1102 - Globalisation, Environment and Development

Research

Economic and human geography; Regional development and planning; Urban planning and economic development; Social capital, network economies and innovation systems; Globalisation and world systems; International comparative studies

Languages

English
Japanese

Research expertise keywords

  • Economic and human geography
  • Regional development and planning
  • Urban planning and economic development
  • Social capital, network economies and innovation systems
  • Globalisation and world systems
  • International comparative studies

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  2. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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