| Abstract: | The scope of manufacturing research and development (R&D) in the intermetropolitan region of Limburg, Belgium, is analyzed within the context of the spatial, organizational, and size-theoretical attributes of R&D and of the core-periphery model. In spite of its peripheral location, Limburg exhibits vivid R&D activity associated with the trickled-down manufacturing from neighboring West European industrial cores. R&D in Limburg is mostly centered in multinational/locational branch plants, but also in a few modernizing, old sector establishments engaged in high and medium-level “off the shelf” technology processes. R&D was significant in terms of spending, number of newly developed prototypes, and number of patents registered. It revealed strong sector concentration with relatively dispersed spatial patterns. R&D departments and spending disclosed a positive correlation with plant size, but showed particularly high concentration coefficients when medium-size high- and medium-level technology plants were considered. |
