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The window of locational opportunity-concept

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  • R. Boschma

Abstract

This article aims to set out a theoretical concept, i.e. the Window of Locational Opportunity concept, which accounts for notions like indeterminacy, human agency and historical accidents when explaining the spatial pattern of newly emerging industries. We will state that their spatial formation does probably not reveal predictable tendencies of necessity and regularity during their initial stage of development, because structures, conditions and capabilities laid down in the past are unlikely to determine their spatial manifestation. Potential impacts of space are considered to be highly unpredictable: latent triggers or incentives providing opportunities and/or challenges are manifold, while the selection environment may operate only very weakly. As a consequence, we will claim that notions of human agency and accidents are necessitated to `explain' the spatial pattern of new industries. Because there is much uncertainty about the site where new industries will emerge, windows of locational opportunity tend to open up in the event of newly emerging industries: this theoretical concept holds the view that the long-term evolution of the spatial system is potentially, but not necessarily unstable.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Boschma, 1996. "The window of locational opportunity-concept," Working Papers 260, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
  • Handle: RePEc:bol:bodewp:260
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    Cited by:

    1. Lee Pugalis & Alan R. Townsend, 2014. "The emergence of ‘new’ spatial coalitions in the pursuit of functional regions of governance," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 49-67, March.
    2. Piotr Dawidko & Grzegorz Micek, 2015. "The Spatial Evolution of the Polish Biotech Industry: A Path-Dependent Process?," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 944-962, May.
    3. Agnieszka Świgost-Kapocsi, 2021. "200 Years of Feminisation of Professions in Poland—Mechanism of False Windows of Opportunity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Pere Castell & Ramon Ramon-Muñoz, 2022. "Deterministic and Contingent Factors in the Genesis of Agribusiness Clusters: The Pigmeat Industry in Nineteenth-Century Catalonia," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-24, March.
    5. Boschma, Ron, 2000. "An Empirical Analysis Of The Industrial Rise Of The Third Italy," ERSA conference papers ersa00p114, European Regional Science Association.
    6. Masoumeh Ghorbani & Thomas Brenner, 2021. "Prerequisites and initial developments for economic specialization in lagging regions—A study of specialized villages in Iran," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 41(2), pages 229-268, October.
    7. Ron Boschma, 1998. "The industrial rise of the Third Italy: Open windows of locational opportunity?," ERSA conference papers ersa98p91, European Regional Science Association.
    8. Meelen, Toon & Herrmann, Andrea M. & Faber, Jan, 2017. "Disentangling patterns of economic, technological and innovative specialization of Western economies: An assessment of the Varieties-of-Capitalism theory on comparative institutional advantages," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 667-677.
    9. Boschma, Ron, 1999. "Culture of "trust" and regional development : an empirical analysis of Third Italy," ERSA conference papers ersa99pa009, European Regional Science Association.
    10. Anne Margarian, 2013. "A Constructive Critique of the Endogenous Development Approach in the European Support of Rural Areas," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 1-29, March.

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