Erik Reinert

Erik S. Reinert, a Norwegian citizen, is Professor of Technology Governance and Development Strategies at Tallinn University of Technology. He holds a BA from Hochschule St. Gallen, Switzerland, an MBA from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University. For almost two decades he ran a manufacturing company which by 1990 produced in three European countries. 

Reinert’s work has taken him to more than 70 countries; as a teacher, consultant, or in business. Much of his work is dedicated to teaching and researching in the theory and history of uneven development, with particular attention to the History of Economic Policy as an under-researched area. This includes publishing on the Economic Bestsellers before 1850, on the nearly 100 economics books that were published in more than 10 editions by that date. This includes several once famous economists who are today virtually unknown, this creating an alternative lineage to the Physiocracy-Smith-Ricardo lineage. Reinert’s book How Rich Countries got Rich and why Poor Countries Stay Poor has been translated into 20 languages. 

Selected publications