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Regional specialisation and location of industrial activity in accession countries

Author

Listed:
  • Traistaru, Iulia

  • Nijkamp, Peter

  • Longhi, Simonetta

Abstract

Central and East European economies have experienced since 1990 increasing integration with the European Union via trade and foreign direct investments. The spatial implications of this process have been, so far, little investigated. This paper identifies and explains the effects of economic integration on patterns of regional specialisation, location of industrial activity and regional growth in accession countries. We address the following research questions: Have patterns of regional specialisation changed in the period 1990-1999? Does greater specialisation imply greater polarisation? Has relocation of manufacturing activity taken place? What is the relationship between regional specialisation and growth? We find evidence suggesting a tendency of increasing absolute and relative regional specialisation in Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia and decreasing specialisation in Hungary and Estonia. We also find relocation and increasing geographic concentration of manufacturing activity, of different magnitude though, in all five countries mentioned above. Bilateral differences between the industrial structures of pairs of countries indicate that Romania and Bulgaria have become more similar in the period 1991-1994 but are diverging since 1995. Also, industrial structures in Romania and Slovenia and Bulgaria and Slovenia, respectively, are diverging. Industrial structures in Romania and Bulgaria are more similar to each other compared to Slovenia's. Our research results suggest that regional specialisation is negatively related to regional GDP and unemployment rates and that lower growth of regional GDP per capita is associated with higher unemployment rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Traistaru, Iulia & Nijkamp, Peter & Longhi, Simonetta, 2002. "Regional specialisation and location of industrial activity in accession countries," ERSA conference papers ersa02p136, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa02p136
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    File URL: https://www-sre.wu.ac.at/ersa/ersaconfs/ersa02/cd-rom/papers/136.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Manfred M. Fischer & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), 1999. "Spatial Dynamics of European Integration," Advances in Spatial Science, Springer, number 978-3-642-60180-4.
    2. P Krugman & Anthony J. Venables, 1993. "Intergration," CEP Discussion Papers dp0172, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Krieger-Boden, Christiane & Soltwedel, Rüdiger, 2010. "European economic integration in econometric modelling: Concepts, measures and illustration," Kiel Working Papers 1661, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
    3. Natércia dos Anjos Arranhado Silveira Godinho Mira, 2008. "Indústria transformadora portuguesa: especialização das regiões e/ou concentração geográfica de indústrias?," CEFAGE-UE Working Papers 2008_13, University of Evora, CEFAGE-UE (Portugal).
    4. Longhi, Christian & Musolesi, Antonio & Baumont, Catherine, 2014. "Modeling structural change in the European metropolitan areas during the process of economic integration," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 395-407.
    5. Bernardina Algieri, 2007. "Trade Specialisation Dynamics in Russia," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 49(2), pages 232-258, June.
    6. Frank Bickenbach & Eckhardt Bode, 2008. "Disproportionality Measures of Concentration, Specialization, and Localization," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 31(4), pages 359-388, October.
    7. Vassilis Monastiriotis, 2011. "Regional Growth Dynamics in Central and Eastern Europe," Europe in Question Discussion Paper Series of the London School of Economics (LEQs) 3, London School of Economics / European Institute.
    8. Simonetta Longhi & Peter Nijkamp & Iulia Traistaru, 2003. "Determinants of Manufacturing Location in EU Accession Countries," ERSA conference papers ersa03p310, European Regional Science Association.
    9. Bickenbach, Frank & Bode, Eckhardt, 2006. "Disproportionality measures of concentration, specialization, and polarization," Kiel Working Papers 1276, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
    10. Farhauer, Oliver & Kröll, Alexandra, 2009. "Verfahren zur Messung räumlicher Konzentration und regionaler Spezialisierung in der Regionalökonomik," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-58-09, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    11. Francisco Diniz, 2009. "Productive Specialization And Regional Development In Portugal At The Nuts Iii Level," Romanian Journal of Regional Science, Romanian Regional Science Association, vol. 3(2), pages 90-111, DECEMBER.
    12. Anna Iara & Iulia Traistaru, 2004. "Integration, Regional Specialization and Growth Differentials in EU Acceding Countries: Evidence from Hungary," ERSA conference papers ersa04p298, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Traistaru, Iulia & Nijkamp, Peter & Longhi, Simonetta, 2002. "Regional specialization and concentration of industrial activity in accession countries," ZEI Working Papers B 16-2002, University of Bonn, ZEI - Center for European Integration Studies.
    14. Michael H. Stierle & Ulrike von Schütz, 2003. "Regional specialisation and sectoral concentration: an empirical analysis for the enlarged EU," ERSA conference papers ersa03p317, European Regional Science Association.
    15. Pinar Falcioğlu & Sedef Akgüngör, 2008. "Regional Specialization and Industrial Concentration Patterns in the Turkish Manufacturing Industry: An Assessment for the 1980--2000 Period1," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 303-323, February.
    16. Longhi, C. & Musolesi, A. & Baumont, C., 2013. "Modeling the industrial dynamics of the European metropolitan areas during the process of economic integration: a semiparametric approach," Working Papers 2013-10, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).

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