Industrial location and economic potential in Western Europe

Abstract

Clark C., Wilson F. and Bradley J. (1969) Industrial location and economic potential in Western Europe, Reg. Studies 3, 197–212. Economic potentials were calculated for Western Europe by taking regional incomes and costs of distance between all regions in order to measure each region's attraction for manufacturing industry under various sets of conditions. Separate centres of high potential were found before the Customs Union, but afterwards, a single European centre was formed comprising of regions in the Rhine valley of West Germany, south-cast Netherlands and eastern Belgium. An enlarged Common Market and transport developments did not alter the general pattern although the potentials increased more in the centre than in the periphery. Britain, despite assumed membership of the EEC, remained outside the most attractive region in all cases considered. An analysis of employment indicated that the greatest growth had occurred in regions where the potential had risen most (Belgium and the Netherlands) following the Treaty of Rome.