ABSTRACT
Industrial linkage has become central feature of modern manufacturing economy, but it could scarcely be further removed from first exposure that most geographical students have to this branch of economic geography. Some economic logic underlies survey responses it follows that manufacturing plants which locate away from their optimal locations in terms of access to backward and forward linkages will, suffer financial penalties through higher costs than otherwise necessary or through reduced revenues. Macro work is measuring wrong sorts of linkage flows from viewpoint of their geographical impact on firm's locations. Michael Wise's examination of Birmingham gun and jewellery quarters is often seen as the forerunner of modern micro investigations into linkages. Large corporations can adjust to changing needs and circumstances both through the opening of locations and also through the reorganisation of production at existing locations. Bloomfield discusses how world's motor car producers have had to face major changes in trade conditions, energy supplies and prices, technological innovation.
