The RiMS Meeting invites research papers on how technical, productive, organisational, commercial, and mercantile innovations stimulated economic growth and the expansion of international trade from the twelfth century to the early sixteenth century. Recent historiographical works on medieval European trade follow approaches favouring the study of socioeconomic networks, the role of institutions, conflict management, port infrastructures, and cross-cultural exchange. In 2017, The Routledge Handbook of Maritime Trade Around Europe 1300–1600 pushed the theoretical analysis further by examining the level of autonomy of ports cities ‘vis-à-vis other powers in their environment or network,’ and the relation between cities and states. Moreover, it aimed at offering a ‘refreshing vision on Europe’s integration from the seaside’ (Blockmans, Krom, and Wubs-Mrozewicz, 2017, p. 11), one which was deepened in the 50th edition of the study week, in 2018, of the Fondazione Istituto Internazionale di Storia Economica “F. Datini” dedicated to Maritime Networks as a Factor of European Integration. 

Rather than looking at the complexities of urban autonomy, conflict management, and European integration, the RiMS Meeting returns, in a certain way, to the classical approach proposed in Lopez’s ground-breaking work The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages 950-1350. Thus, it proposes to observe Europe’s expansion of long-distance trade by re-evaluating and investigating, under the light of recent research, the articulation between the productive sectors (agriculture and industry) and foreign commercial exchange between the twelfth and the early sixteenth century. It seeks not to underline the revolution of medieval trade, but the intricacies of both the productive and commercial sectors for the centuries preceding the first global age. The chronology of this project will include the first five decades of the sixteenth century in order to examine elements of change and continuity in European production and commerce, following the expansion of trade to other continents and newfound lands. 

Research sections: 

1.The primary and secondary sectors in their articulation with long-distance trade 
a. Which European regions developed specialised productions towards the export market, and what distinct features did they have? 
b. How did the primary and secondary sectors articulate with long-distance trade? 

2. Production, infrastructures, and markets. 
a. How important were local and regional markets for international trade? 
b. How much of the local and regional production was meant for export? 
c. What type of infrastructures supported regional and foreign trade? 

3. Economic policies, and growth 
a. To what extent were rulers and urban governments responsible for economic growth, both in terms of production and commerce? 
b. What links existed between the fluctuations in productivity and commerce, and those of economic growth? 
c. How do historians evaluate the relevance of medieval overland and sea-borne transport? 

4. Agents, commerce, and social dynamics 
a. Which agents and organisations exerted control over production and distribution? 
b. What relation between the production centre and the foreign market? 
c. What changes did the expansion of production and international trade cause in society? 

The call for papers is open to every scholar working on European history, particularly those who have produced ground-breaking research on medieval economic history. The meeting proceedings will be published both in paper and as an open-access, indexed e-monograph by the Coimbra University Press. Papers will be committed to double-blind review from a specialist board of advisers. 

Researchers are invited to send a 500-words proposal and a two-page curriculum vitæ by 28 February 2020 to rimsmeeting@gmail.com . Applicants will be informed of the scientific committee’s decision by 31 March 2020.The RiMS Meeting will have a registration fee of €80, which will include access to coffee break and meals (2 lunches and 2 dinners) for the duration of the event. The organisation expects applicants to have financial support of their institutions to cover travel and accommodation costs. A list of affordable hotels will be provided at the website of the event.