Spatial distribution of Japanese affiliates in Italy: a dynamic geo-spatial network analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze Japanese investments in Italy from 1972 to 2019 as a bipartite network where groups and actors are represented by Japanese parent and affiliate firms, respectively. By using a network approach, we identify how deeply rooted a Japanese firm is in Italy, where it decides to invest, and whether it decides to co-invest with a Japanese partner. We observe that a) most of the Japanese affiliates are located in Northern Italy; b) the gap with the number of affiliates in Southern Italy increased over time; and c) that the intermediary role of sogo shosha for Japanese manufacturing investments in Italy has decreased in the recent years.