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Can the periphery achieve core? The case of the automobile components industry in S pain
Author(s) -
Lampón Jesús F.,
LagoPeñas Santiago,
Cabanelas Pablo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
papers in regional science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.937
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1435-5957
pISSN - 1056-8190
DOI - 10.1111/pirs.12146
Subject(s) - core (optical fiber) , automotive industry , business , engineering , telecommunications , aerospace engineering
The paper analyses changes experienced by S pain as a European peripheral region in the automobile global value chain ( GVC ). Our attention is focused on both spatial concentration of value‐added and high‐skill activities, and generation of technology in the components industry. The analysis of plants set up (investments) and relocated (divestments) by multinationals ( MNE s) between 2001 and 2010 shows that S pain is no longer a place for labour‐intensive activities and standardized processes using simple technologies in comparison with other peripheral regions. However, the continuing majority presence of foreign‐owned companies is limiting decision power for generating and transferring technology, concentrating it mainly in the areas in which Spanish MNEs are specialized.