SOCIETAL PREPAREDNESS AS A MATTER OF CONCERN: How can public procurement build resilience in essential goods markets?

The purpose of this research proposal is to examine how markets are organized to build resilience in the supply of essential goods through a specific type of governance tool – public procurement.

Ultimately, the aim is to provide insights into the markets´ ability to supply such goods in times of crisis and contribute to increased crisis preparedness and societal security in society.

The project works with an interdisciplinary constructive market studies perspective, studying the multiple activities and value concerns that contribute to the shaping of markets.

Empirically, we examine market shaping efforts of public procurement for resilience in the example of markets for personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks and plastic visors in the post-Covid-19 period. We investigate the phenomenon at two governance levels: Sweden and the EU.

As a method, we adopt a qualitative approach and an in-depth case study research design consisting of interviews, document analysis, and participatory observations.

The project’s timeframe is three years (2024-2026).The project has both theoretical and practical contributions via (1) developing a conceptual framework for understanding how resilience is fostered within markets; (2) helping public buyers, policy makers, industry players, and citizens by creating a knowledge and experience repository, which serves as a resource that can be utilized when preparing for and responding to future crises in essential goods markets.