ABSTRACT
The content of this contribution is confined to the role that overseas inward companies play in the regions of the UK. It therefore does not discuss the inter-regional movement of indigenous companies nor the outward investment activities of UK-owned companies. The type of overseas investment discussed is direct rather than portfolio investment. The term overseas inward investment is used to cover the activities of what are variously called multinational enterprises or transnational companies. The theory of overseas direct investment is not explicitly reviewed, nor are particular paradigms such as restructuring and the international spatial division of labour referred to specifically. However, the first section reviews the main evidence from the early 1960s to the early 1980s derived from a variety of sources. The second section concerns itself with the most recent trends in the flow of overseas inward investment to each of the UK regions while the third section consists of case studies of selected regions. Finally, an attempt is made to highlight some issues likely to be of particular relevance to the 1990s.
