Foreign Direct Investment and the Regional Economy

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.

About the Author

Colin Wren is Professor of Applied Microeconomics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne Business School, UK. He has long-standing research interests in economic development policies, and understanding the processes by which these impact upon the behaviour of firms. Dr Jonathan Jones is Lecturer in Economics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne Business School, UK. He has recently completed his PhD in the area of foreign direct investment. His research interests lie in the areas of industrial economics and applied econometrics.