%0 Journal Article
%A Gracia Santos, Manuel
%A Paz Antolín, María José
%T Network position, export patterns and competitiveness: evidence from the European automotive industry
%D 2017
%@ 1477-2221
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/18835
%X The organizational characteristics of production in the European automotive industry have favoured a high degree of fragmentation and productive mobility. This article analyses the differing national positions of automotive producing countries and their export patterns – particularly their export reorientation to extra-European Union markets following the collapse of regional demand in the European automotive industry. Based on the methodologies of Mahutga and Piana, our position analysis arrives at two main conclusions: (i) the countries best positioned in the European regional automotive production network are precisely those that have experienced a greater increase in extra-European Union exports, thus reducing their dependence on regional European demand; (ii) the increase in extra-European Union exports (mainly of final goods) is linked to increased regional fragmentation of production in the automotive industry. We conclude that the governance of this fragmentation process is a key determinant of extra-European Union export competitiveness.
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