Economic networks in the complexity of COVID-19 emergency. A qualitative approach for an actor-network model

The current situation of economic-health difficulties requires new approaches in order to understand the ratio relations among economic actors Losses and human suffering caused by the covid-19 epidemic must be considered as added to the damage on the economic networks linking people and businesses This article aims to promote a qualitative approach for the application of the actor-network model to spread knowledge and research forecast in the economic networks then implying the study of economic interconnection in the «coronavirus context» The authors identified an actor-network model shifting the focus on specific research questions for further investigation analysis Future developments of this research should move the analysis from the study of economic network relationships to the impact of network externalities stemming from covid-19 on economic networks and model validation In conclusion, Authors proposed a model to assess the potential role of these economic network actors at the time of coronavirus emergency by depicting and investigating directly back and forth linkages as well as indirect multiplier effects among actors © 2021 Societa Editrice il Mulino All rights reserved