From time immemorial it has been presumed that investing in infrastructure can cause regional-economic growth. However, over time, the mechanism dictating that monitoring how companies are established and how they invest in infrastructure can almost certainly cause economic growth, has changed.Traditional location theories assume that, to a large extent, the desire to minimize transport costs is the criterium that steers companies when selecting location sites. In recent years, because of deregulation and technological progress, parts of the production process have become less and less reliant on the proximity of traditional establishment sites. At the same time, though, other economic activities, like logistical services, tend to become concentrated. Increasingly, industries are established along main transport routes, hinterland junctions, and corridors. In regional areas good access becomes ever more important in connection with attracting and retaining commerce. By directing infrastructure into corridors extra opportunities arise as entrepreneurs are given more chances to optimize logistics and productivity. This can cause economic structural reinforcement in the relevant regional areas. By creating new European corridors and improving the existing ones, the Netherlands is able to react to, and profit from, the concentration or deconcentration of economic activities, notably by strengthening its logistical role in Europe. (A)
Abstract