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This paper examines the main factors behind the regional location of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Spain, at both the aggregate and sectoral levels, over the 1996-2013 period. To do so, a panel spatial Durbin model, which allows us to unveil patterns of substitution or complementarity in FDI across regions, is estimated. Our findings reveal that inward FDI in one region is complementary to that in neighbouring regions, a conclusion that is consistent with a complex vertical FDI strategy. Besides, they tend to confirm the hypotheses that FDI exhibits some inertia and is attracted by regions with: (i) large market size; (ii) large surrounding-market potential; and (iii) high levels of human capital and wages. However, the results cast some doubts on the role played by infrastructure, R&D and regional differences in taxes as key elements in attracting FDI.

This paper empirically examines the key factors driving UK direct investment in the Spanish regions over the period 2000–2016 and, consequently, tries to unveil its main motivation. Applying a spatial Durbin panel model to capture spatial linkages, the results point to the existence of complementarity between the FDI received by a region and that of the remaining ones. This outcome, along with a positive and statistically significant spillover effect of market potential, reveals that complex‐vertical FDI motivation with agglomeration economies prevails among UK MNEs investing in Spain. Additionally, our findings unveil the role played by some other FDI drivers, such as wages and infrastructure. Furthermore, the paper is unique in decomposing the average direct and spillover effects by region and pairs of regions, so that remarkable differences can be identified. This breakdown has strong significance from a policy perspective since it can guide regional policy makers. In short, our findings point out to the fact that FDI policy should be jointly designed by those regions presenting strong bilateral spillover effects. Thus, greater cooperation among policy makers would be welcome.

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This paper investigates whether the Spanish investment strategy abroad has been affected by the Great Recession. Applying a panel spatial Durbin model for two sample periods, pre‐crisis (1996–2007) and crisis (2008–14), our findings indicate that Spanish foreign direct investment (FDI) strategy has been indeed markedly altered by the global economic crisis. Complex‐vertical FDI motives prevailed over the pre‐crisis period, whereas horizontal FDI did so over the crisis. These results are robust to the use of sectoral FDI data and alternative specifications of the spatial weight matrix.