01091898

Component

This paper investigates the relationship between firm formation and the availability of motorway and railway networks using data on Portuguese firm births for the periods 1995 and 2003. It develops an econometric model using micro level data in a geographic information system (GIS) to examine whether transport infrastructure has an impact on firm birth, to show how such impacts vary across industrial sectors, and to determine the relative magnitude of effects arising from rail and motorway networks. We conclude that the most significant factors influencing new firm birth are supply side variables and industrial economic structure. Labour costs and small firm size are strong significant locational determinants of firm births. Improvements in the railway and motorway networks do not appear to have a significant effect on new firm formation.

01084478

08-0447

English

31p

2008

Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting

DVD

Maps (5) ; References; Tables (9)

Businesses; Econometric models; Economic development; Geographic information systems; Highways; Infrastructure; Railroads; Transportation policy; Urbanization

Portugal

Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Railroads; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2008 Paper #08-0447

TRIS, TRB

Jan 29 2008 2:48PM