Location and agglomeration of FDI in The Netherlands: implications for policy

Understanding the determinants of the location of MNE affiliates has become increasingly important for policy makers at the local, regional, national, and supra-national level, as investment promotion schemes are increasingly seen as an important cornerstone of the industrial development of most countries and regions. We examine some of the factors that explain an MNE’s choice for a particular region within the Netherlands, and investigate whether agglomeration patterns can be detected, and how this establishment pattern relates to domestic firms. We also investigate if there are differences in locational choice prompted by the home country of the foreign investor. The results suggest that the determinants of location vary by home country and the nature of the affiliates, and also differs from the behaviour of domestic firms. We suggest that FDI promotion policies need to be aligned with industrial policy if governments are to benefit from the externalities that derive from MNE affiliates.Economics ;

Dutch Manufacturing MNEs in the United States, 1950-1995

This paper explores the importance of Dutch investments in the US manufacturing industry over the period 1950-1995.Until the mid-1970s Dutch investments, though considerable, were primarily concentrated in the petroleum sector and therefore natural-resource seeking in nature. Dutch MNEs have gradually expanded their operations in the US in response to the changing competitiveness of the US relative to the Netherlands. The extent and structure of Dutch value-adding activities in the US reflect the changing motives for the investments. Dutch FDI activity has gone from trade-supportive in the 1950s and 1960s, to import-substituting and market-seeking in the 1970s, and rationalized and efficiency-seeking in the 1980s. There are also indications of strategic asset-seeking FDI activity in the late 1980s and early 1990s in line with the developments associated with the age of alliance capitalism. In the early 1980s, the Netherlands was the largest investor in the US, but both the UK and Japan have taken over this position since. Dutch investments show a reorientation towards Europe with the increasing importance of the EU, and although the Netherlands still lists high on the ranks of competitive countries, the Ownership advantages of Dutch firms have declined relative to those of UK and Japanese firms.international economics and trade ;

Globalisation and the Small Economy: The Case of the Netherlands

In this paper, we have examined the importance and implications of globalisation due to FDI for one particular small country: the Netherlands. Although it has limited resources and size, the Netherlands is home to the sixth largest outward FDI stock in the world, and also is one of the most important destinations for inward FDI activity. Its location advantages are, inter alia, a function of its de facto market size, given its central location within the EU, and its well developed infrastructure. Furthermore, the growing competitiveness of the service sector in the Netherlands plays a pivotal role. Other small economies can benefit from the Dutch experience, by investing in improving their competitiveness, since usually their activities are concentrated in only a few sectors. The need to maintain and upgrade their location advantages, by adopting new technologies and upgrading their created assets, is central to their survival.economics of technology ;

Multimedia, Entertainment, and Business Software Copyright Piracy: A Cross-National Study

This article examines cross-national variations in piracy of U.S. copyright-related products in the multimedia, entertainment, and software industry. To determine which economic, legal, and social factors cause the considerable differences in piracy of U.S. copyright industries' products in individual countries, we tested 4 industry models. We found that for most industries piracy can be explained by the risk profile of the country involved (signaling economic and political stability and growth potential) and the existence of a strong intellectual property rights system. Furthermore, for the 4 analyzed copyright-based industries, considerable variation in piracy exists between geographic regions. This study shows that disaggregation of the copyright piracy data by industry is helpful in analyzing and understanding piracy.

Neurocognitive, Psychosocial, and Quality of Life Outcomes After Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Admitted to the PICU

OBJECTIVES: To investigate neurocognitive, psychosocial, and quality of life (QoL) outcomes in children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) seen 3-6 months after PICU admission. DESIGN: National prospective cohort study March 2020 to November 2021. SETTING: Seven PICUs in the Netherlands. PATIENTS: Children with MIS-C (0-17 yr) admitted to a PICU.None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Children and/or parents were seen median (interquartile range [IQR] 4 mo [3-5 mo]) after PICU admission. Testing included assessment of neurocognitive, psychosocial, and QoL outcomes with reference to Dutch pre-COVID-19 general population norms. Effect sizes (Hedges' g ) were used to indicate the strengths and clinical relevance of differences: 0.2 small, 0.5 medium, and 0.8 and above large. Of 69 children with MIS-C, 49 (median age 11.6 yr [IQR 9.3-15.6 yr]) attended follow-up. General intelligence and verbal memory scores were normal compared with population norms. Twenty-nine of the 49 followed-up (59%) underwent extensive testing with worse function in domains such as visual memory, g = 1.0 (95% CI, 0.6-1.4), sustained attention, g = 2.0 (95% CI 1.4-2.4), and planning, g = 0.5 (95% CI, 0.1-0.9). The children also had more emotional and behavioral problems, g = 0.4 (95% CI 0.1-0.7), and had lower QoL scores in domains such as physical functioning g = 1.3 (95% CI 0.9-1.6), school functioning g = 1.1 (95% CI 0.7-1.4), and increased fatigue g = 0.5 (95% CI 0.1-0.9) compared with population norms. Elevated risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was seen in 10 of 30 children (33%) with MIS-C. Last, in the 32 parents, no elevated risk for PTSD was found. CONCLUSIONS: Children with MIS-C requiring PICU admission had normal overall intelligence 4 months after PICU discharge. Nevertheless, these children reported more emotional and behavioral problems, more PTSD, and worse QoL compared with general population norms. In a subset undergoing more extensive testing, we also identified irregularities in neurocognitive functions. Whether these impairments are caused by the viral or inflammatory response, the PICU admission, or COVID-19 restrictions remains to be investigated