Knowledge and competitiveness in the aerospace industry: The cases of toulouse, seattle and north-west England

Abstract The study reviews the development of the aerospace industry in three regions over a 60 year period by analysing the extent to which regional development has been dependent upon knowledge related factors. The aerospace industry is of particular interest (a) as an assembly and high-technology industry that inevitably involves a high level of inter-company collaboration, (b) due to its dependence on government support, (c) given the internationalized character of aerospace industry, and (d) for its development in various regions. The examples of Toulouse, Seattle and the north-west of England present interesting contrasts in their roles in knowledge generation and dissemination.