How the creation of a single European economic area influences the decision of Spanish companies on where to locate. This is the central nucleus of the thesis that has defended in the School of Economic and Business Sciences of the University of Navarra, Cristina Etayo Pérez from Pamplona. The grade awarded to the research, whose degree scroll is "Effects of European integration on the location of productive activities in Spain", was A cum laude unanimously.

According to Professor Etayo, Spanish industry tends to concentrate its activity because companies obtain great advantages by locating close to others in the same sector (externalities subject MAR). However, since the integration in 1986 into the European Union (then European Economic Community), companies have begun to value their status in areas with a varied industrial environment, so that Spanish regions sometimes present a diversified production (externalities subject Jacobs).

Although the new doctor has studied the application of these trends in all industrial production activities, she has carried out a specific analysis of a sector core topic for the Spanish Economics : transport equipment, which includes the automotive industry.

"In this aspect, Spain's incorporation into the European Community has modified the location factors for these activities: the role that externalities subject MAR and subject Jacobs play in the location of employment has been strengthened, relegating other factors such as industrial tradition, costs and demand to second place, but no less important," says Etayo.

For her, the characteristics of the different autonomous communities are configured as a localization factor in the post-integration period: "In this aspect, Catalonia stands out, whose behavior is different because it anticipates and adopts new trends before the rest of the regions. Navarra also has very favorable characteristics to attract employment in this sector, due to the Volkswagen plant and the presence of the two universities, which qualify workers specifically for this sector. It can be said that Navarra is privileged because it has all the factors demanded by these companies since the integration of 86".

Cristina Etayo studied Economics and Business Administration at the University of Navarra between 1988 and 1993. She currently teaches Economics and management Business at School and Communication at the same University.