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This article analyses the spatial pattern of plant start-ups and plant relocations in Portugal between 1986 and 1997. The results show that start-ups and relocations are not attracted by the same set of location characteristics. The probability of a plant start-up is more strongly related to increases in local market size and labour force qualification, lower labour costs, and a more diversified economic environment. In contrast, relocations show a greater preference for areas with better national market accessibility, availability of producer services and a larger industrial basis. Relocations are also much more strongly attracted by the provision of inter-regional motorways. The results are consistent with the assertion that firms value location attributes differently over the plant life cycle. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg 2004Manufacturing location, relocation, agglomeration economies, transport,

This paper uses municipality-level data to study firm birth in Portugal from 1986 to 1997. This is a period of significant improvements to the Portuguese motorway network raising important questions as to its impact on the spatial pattern of firm birth. The paper focuses on the effect of such large-scale road investment together with the role played by agglomeration economies for firm birth in 13 industry sectors and 9 service sectors. Motorways increase the attractiveness of locations close to the new infrastructure for most sectors. However, marked differences among sectors exist in the way transport improvements affect geographical firm-birth concentration. The results also indicate that a more diversified local economic environment encourages firm birth, but little evidence is found for agglomeration benefits stemming from sectoral specialization at the local level.

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