The Infrastructured State

Territoriality and the European infrastructure system

“…Such vulnerabilities have focused states on issues of criticality where such cascade effects could challenge state territoriality (Rinaldi et al 2001). The link between infrastructure and state territoriality does offer an evident rationalisation for the position of authors such as Larkin (2013) who argue that the notion of an embedded NIS can make little sense when the state can use it as an expression of power and legitimacy and offer a means of discourse within its population (see Turner 2020). As a means of reinforcing its territoriality, the state has an incentive to pursue what Larkin terms 'suprastructures'.…”

“…The systemic nature of the NIS underscores that it is more than just the sum of infrastructure located within the borders of a state. For simplicity, the NIS is sub-divided into differing types of infrastructure (Turner 2020): economic infrastructures (that is those that facilitate the flow of economic products/processes within a territory); and enabling infrastructures (those social and institutional structures and systems that enable the effective operation of economic infrastructure) (Howe et al 2016). Whilst much of the focus within the NIS has been upon the physical economic infrastructures (as indeed reflected within the structure of this book), there has been -over time -an increased focus upon soft infrastructure systems (Niskanen 1991).…”

“…Whilst much of the focus within the NIS has been upon the physical economic infrastructures (as indeed reflected within the structure of this book), there has been -over time -an increased focus upon soft infrastructure systems (Niskanen 1991). These soft infrastructure components represent a core enabler of economic infrastructure through the provision of institutional systems for the establishment, usage and evolution of the NIS (Turner 2020). The salience of soft infrastructure has increased within its spatial and operational complexity as well as in diversity of ownership.…”

“…Indeed, as noted below, the need to harmonise soft infrastructure between states is arguably the most salient impact of the development of regional systems. These emergent rules -arising from more complex NIS -are complemented by longstanding soft issues in infrastructure systems formed by the need to ensure that user behaviour is compliant with the territorial needs of the system (Turner 2020).…”

“…The territorial state is at the core of the international system, with each state seeking to assert its territoriality (through a set of enabling strategies) over the portion of the earth's surface that is recognised by all other states as being under its jurisdiction (Taylor 1994(Taylor , 1995. Central to these territorial strategies is the provision of territorially extensive economic infrastructures (see below for formal definition) with sufficient capacity and development to enable the intense and prompt flow of both state and non-state tangible and non-tangible resources to enable the state to control, integrate, secure and develop that territory under its jurisdiction (Turner 2018(Turner , 2020. This underlines that the state needs to offer universal access to the infrastructure system as a means of enabling its territoriality.…”