Academic Insight Seminar: Grid-cells, terrorism, and multinational corporations

How does terrorism shape where companies operate? This seminar explores how localized violence influences global business strategy and decision-making. Please note that breakfast will be served from 7:30 AM.

Start time: 2026-05-05 at 07:00

End time: 2026-05-05 at 08:00

Location: Torsten, Stockholm School of Economics, Sveavägen 65

Photo: Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF)

The Center for Security and Resilience (CfSR) and the House of Sustainable Society (HOSS) invites you to an Academic Insight Seminar with Leandro S. Pongeluppe (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania) on the theme "Grid-cells, terrorism, and multinational corporations".

The seminar explores how multinational corporations respond to localized violence and terrorism risk. Moving beyond traditional views of political risk as a national phenomenon, the research demonstrates how individual terrorist events shape firm behavior at a granular geographic level.

Drawing on a global dataset covering nearly three decades and more than 150,000 geolocated terrorist incidents, the study shows how even a single attack can influence where firms choose to operate, withdraw, or relocate.

The findings highlight significant economic consequences, including impacts on employment and business activity, particularly in sectors such as services, retail, and transportation. The research offers new insights into how firms navigate uncertainty and underscores the importance of incorporating localized risk into strategic decision-making.