LOCATIONAL TRENDS IN R AND D BY LARGE UNITED-STATE CORPORATIONS, 1965-1977

The locational decisions of large corporations, especially in research and development and its role in technological change, have considerable effects on regional economic development. The locations of R&D facilities of 330 firms in the US are found primarily in metropolitan areas, and particularly in corporate headquarters locations. Industry-specific patterns are present, but overall, a small number of major urban areas are the locations of corporate R&D. Changes in these patterns from 1965 to 1977 show that gains in R&D have taken place in only a few NE cities and in relatively few SMSAs in the Sunbelt. A second major shift in R&D is away from some large cities outward within their urban regions. Corporate R&D, although experiencing some locational shift, is remaining quite concentrated in large metropolitan areas.-Author