Development Economist
Ph.D · HDR
Research Officer at FERDI and Affiliate Researcher at CERDI — University Clermont-Auvergne. My work investigates the digitalization process and its impact on economic development. I also work on economic vulnerability in Least Developed Countries, regional integration in sub-Saharan Africa, and corruption in developing economies.
2nd Kiel-CEPR African Economic Development
Conference (AEDC)
Photo: Michael Stefan, Kiel Institute
Global submarine cable networks — the physical backbone of the internet
New Research — 2026
"Digital Disasters: The Macroeconomic Costs of Submarine Cable Breaks"
"Digital transformations in developing economies: From the first-mile infrastructure to the end-user finger tips"
"Rural youth employment in the WAEMU"
Ferdi Report, 98 p.
"Submarine Cable Infrastructure and Trade in Africa"
Featured Publications
"Digital connectivity and firm participation in foreign markets: An exporter-based bilateral analysis"
Mobile Phones and Development in Africa: Does the Evidence Meet the Hype?
"The Revolving Door, State Connections and Inequality of Influence in the Financial Sector"
Recent Outreach
"Invisible jobs: Unpaid care and women's employment in rural sub-Saharan Africa"
"Bridging the digital divide in global trade"
VoxDev Blog, August 28, 2025
"Strengthening social contracts in Africa: Is social media a blessing or a curse?"
World Bank Blog, September 2024
Peer-Reviewed Articles
"Digital connectivity and firm participation in foreign markets: An exporter-based bilateral analysis"
"How internet helped firms cope with COVID-19"
"Misinformation technology: Internet use and political misperceptions in Africa"
"Digital Connectedness and Exports Upgrading: Is Sub-Saharan Africa Catching Up?"
"Spatial Internet Spillovers in Manufacturing"
"How export shocks corrupt: Theory and evidence"
"International Connectivity and the Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa"
"The Revolving Door, State Connections and Inequality of Influence in the Financial Sector"
"Going beyond analysis of internal data to support customs modernization: A case study in Gabon"
"L'engagement dans l'intégration commerciale donne-t-il des résultats tangibles? Principes et application à l'UEMOA d'un indice d'engagement des États"
"Has structural economic vulnerability decreased in LDCs? Lessons drawn from retrospective indices"
"Measuring Macroeconomic Instability: A critical Survey Illustrated with Export Series"
Books & Book Chapters
Mobile Phones and Development in Africa: Does the Evidence Meet the Hype?
"Submarine Cable Infrastructure and Trade in Africa"
"Financial Sector Regulation and the Revolving Door in US Commercial Banks"
"Corruption in turbulent times: A response to export booms and busts"
Working Papers
"Digital Disasters: The Macroeconomic Costs of Submarine Cable Breaks"
"Digital transformations in developing economies: From the first-mile infrastructure to the end-user finger tips"
"The Impact of Submarine Cables on Internet Access Price, and the Role of Competition and Regulation"
"From phone access to food markets: Is mobile connectivity transforming West-African livelihoods?"
"Broadband infrastructure deployment, digital vulnerability, and local firm performance in developing and transition countries"
"Telecommunication Submarine-Cable Deployment and the Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa"
CESifo Working Paper No. 7415
"Principes et application à l'UEMOA d'un indice d'engagement des Etats dans l'intégration commerciale"
"Has structural economic vulnerability decreased in Least Developed Countries? Lessons drawn from retrospective indices"
Ferdi Working Paper, Development Policies Series
"A Retrospective Economic Vulnerability Index, 1990–2011"
Ferdi Working Paper I17, Innovative Indicator Series
"Measuring Macroeconomic Instability: Applications to Export Revenue Data, 1970–2005"
Ferdi Working Paper I14, Innovative Indicator Series
"The Economic Vulnerability Index: 2010 Update"
Ferdi Working Paper I09, Innovative Indicator Series
Work in Progress
Peer-Reviewed Articles
"Digital connectivity and firm participation in foreign markets: An exporter-based bilateral analysis"
"How internet helped firms cope with COVID-19"
"Misinformation technology: Internet use and political misperceptions in Africa"
"Digital Connectedness and Exports Upgrading: Is Sub-Saharan Africa Catching Up?"
"Spatial Internet Spillovers in Manufacturing"
"International Connectivity and the Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa"
Book & Book Chapter
Mobile Phones and Development in Africa: Does the Evidence Meet the Hype?
"Submarine Cable Infrastructure and Trade in Africa"
Working Papers
"Digital Disasters: The Macroeconomic Costs of Submarine Cable Breaks"
"Digital transformations in developing economies: From the first-mile infrastructure to the end-user finger tips"
"The Impact of Submarine Cables on Internet Access Price, and the Role of Competition and Regulation"
"From phone access to food markets: Is mobile connectivity transforming West-African livelihoods?"
"Broadband infrastructure deployment, digital vulnerability, and local firm performance"
"Telecommunication Submarine-Cable Deployment and the Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa"
CESifo Working Paper No. 7415
Work in Progress
Peer-Reviewed Articles
"How export shocks corrupt: Theory and evidence"
"The Revolving Door, State Connections and Inequality of Influence in the Financial Sector"
"Going beyond analysis of internal data to support customs modernization: A case study in Gabon"
Book Chapters
"Financial Sector Regulation and the Revolving Door in US Commercial Banks"
"Corruption in turbulent times: A response to export booms and busts"
Policy Brief & Report
"Corruption in Turbulent Times: A Response to Export Booms and Busts"
Ferdi Policy Brief B139
"Sizing Up the Distortive Power of the Revolving Door: the Revolving Door Indicator"
U4 Brief, U4 Anti-Corruption Center, Norway (Bergen)
"European Commission Support to Anti-Corruption in Partner Developing Countries"
Background paper, European Commission review
Peer-Reviewed Articles
"Has structural economic vulnerability decreased in LDCs? Lessons drawn from retrospective indices"
"Measuring Macroeconomic Instability: A critical Survey Illustrated with Export Series"
Working Papers
"Has structural economic vulnerability decreased in LDCs? Lessons drawn from retrospective indices"
Ferdi Working Paper, Development Policies Series
"A Retrospective Economic Vulnerability Index, 1990–2011"
Ferdi Working Paper I17, Innovative Indicator Series
"Measuring Macroeconomic Instability: Applications to Export Revenue Data, 1970–2005"
Ferdi Working Paper I14, Innovative Indicator Series
"The Economic Vulnerability Index: 2010 Update"
Ferdi Working Paper I09, Innovative Indicator Series
Policy Briefs
"Measuring Macroeconomic Instability: Applications to Export Revenue Data, 1970–2005"
Ferdi Policy Brief B47
"The Economic Vulnerability Index: 2010 Update"
Ferdi Policy Brief B17
Databases
Peer-Reviewed Article
"L'engagement dans l'intégration commerciale donne-t-il des résultats tangibles? Principes et application à l'UEMOA d'un indice d'engagement des États"
Working Paper & Reports
"Principes et application à l'UEMOA d'un indice d'engagement des Etats dans l'intégration commerciale"
"Mesurer l'engagement des États membres dans l'Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine"
"Etat des lieux sur la disponibilité des données à l'UEMOA et sur les Processus de Collecte Statistique"
Policy Briefs
"Établir un indice d'engagement des États pour l'intégration commerciale: principes et application à l'UEMOA"
Ferdi Policy Brief B168, April 2017
"Renforcer l'intégration régionale et mesurer ses progrès : intérêt et principes d'un indice d'engagement des États"
Ferdi Policy Brief B116
Database
↗ State Commitment to Trade Integration Index — download dataset (.xlsx)Joël Cariolle · Ph.D, HDR · Development Economist
Interested in research collaboration, policy work, or academic inquiry?
✉ joel.cariolle@ferdi.fr