High technology industry, agglomeration and the potential for peripherally sited small firms

This paper considers the relevance of traditional location theory to explanations of contemporary high technology production. With the aid of evidence drawn from the location of high technology firms in South East England, Scotland and the Bay Area of California, it is then argued that most current high technology forms of production are heavily agglomerated due to input material and labour advantages. However, the paper concludes with an examination of a possible new trend towards the peripheral location of high technology firms, which might be a basis for science parks in peripheral areas of high natural amenity. -Authors