Industrial design as a producer service: A framework for analysis in regional science

Industrial design can be used to explore some ideas in producer services research. Its geographical location and position in a corporate structure can indicate much about the character of regions and corporations because it represents a way that knowledge is incorporated into production. Hence the size. location and organisation of industrial design can be an important indicator of the vitality of regions. This paper illustrates how these perspectives can be derived, and provides two frameworks that could be used to structure detailed empirical research on firms, industries and regions.