The 'boom' in foreign direct investment (FDI) since the mid-1980s, continues to be paramount in policy interest. This book reviews the literature on the nature of FDI and reports the recent results on the performance of FDI plants in order to show the implications for regional economic development. It presents new evidence on the nature and performance of these plants, using a unique dataset that has been constructed and rigorously analyzed by applying econometric techniques. The role of FDI in economic development has long been poorly understood and this book contributes to improving understanding, and is of direct policy relevance. An examination is made of the generation, theory and location of FDI, as well as its implications for regional and national development. In addition to this, analysis is made of the issues at the project and plant levels, related to investment, employment and firm survival.

This book brings together previous work by the authors that explores the location of foreign direct investment. It uses a broad range of approaches and quantitative techniques. The issues that are addressed concern the changing nature of FDI location, its determinants, and the role of policy in attracting FDI. The chapters of this book focus on the UK experience, but also analyse the location determinants at a European level. The authors present expert analysis that charts the increase in FDI since the mid-1980s and examines the shift in manufacturing and service location, arguing that these result from policy changes and the creation of the European Single Market. Overall, the book finds that the regional benefit of FDI location is unlikely to be long-lasting, owing both to the nature of plant reinvestment and to the effect of agglomeration economics on FDI location.