Kista. Die Entwicklung einer Stockholmer Großsiedlung zum Zentrum der skandinavischen Elektronikindustrie

Abstract

Homogeneous industrial areas are mostly explained by locational economies. An alternative approach is to explain this phenomenon by entrepreneurial imitation of locational innovators. The case of Kista may be seen as an example verifying the second approach. Kista is a new town situated at the northern fringe of the Swedish metropolis. It was planned and built up until the late seventies. After two international companies, IBM and Ericsson, had relocated their Stockholm activities into the Kista industrial area there was a pull effect on other companies in this industrial sector. The local authorities promoted the shift of electronics and-data companies to Kista in a public-private-partnership with industrial companies, f.e. by establishing a multifunctional centre for technology, research & development, education on high school and university levels, and conferences, called Electrum. The reasons for the first relocation were the proximity to the international airport arid Kista being part of the local subway system at that time already. Unlike other new towns in the Stockholm area Kista had a good image because of its well built-up environment and its socially well structured population. Its following industrial development was based on other companies imitating the locational innovators or leaders, thereby making Kista Scandinavia's most important electronics and data centre.