The determinants of FDI: a new network-based approach

This article investigates the determinants of FDI at sub-national level. It recognizes that MNEsModified Letter Turned Comma foreign activities are organized in networks of strongly interconnected, but geographically dispersed affiliates. This implies a different approach to the analysis of the determinants of FDI, which should focus on contextual factors able to stimulate economic relations at distance. Methodologically, we use a gravity-type model and different regression techniques with a new dataset on networks of FDI involving German and Italian regions. We find evidence that technologically proximate regions sharing the same industry profile are more likely to experience positive and …