Geoeconomics: introduction and application of the concept as an analytical framework for a multipolar international context

This article offers an introductory analysis of the concept of geoeconomics, contextualizing its resurgence, current applications, and strategic relevance in contemporary global affairs. It begins with a historical and interdisciplinary literature review, drawing on precedents from both realist and liberal schools of International Relations, as well as from Geography and International Political Economy. Building on Braz Baracuhy’s review, the study identifies four generations of key authors who have contributed to the conceptual development of geoeconomics. The focus then shifts to the two most recent generations, examining the dynamics and transformations of the multilateral trading system through a geoeconomic lens. Finally, the article explores major geoeconomic instruments and how they are being deployed by contemporary scholars and policymakers. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of the
geoeconomic perspective for understanding the evolving dynamics of global power and the reconfiguration of the international order in a multipolar context characterized by intense technological competition and strategic resource rivalries.

Keywords: Geoeconomics, Geopolitics, International Interdependence, National Strategy, Technological Competition.