Vývoj průmyslové koncentrace a specializace v regionech NUTS3 České republiky v kontextu dynamizace regionální komparativní výhody

The aim of the paper is to analyze and evaluate the impact of economic integration processes and economic policies on the regional industrial structure and regional comparative advantage development in the period from 1998 – 2008. The paper explores manufacturing industry sectors that have registered the highest increase of foreign direct investment and employment. There are also those which participate significantly in the Czech national export – these are the production of plastics and rubber commodities (DH), the metal industry (DJ), the optical and the electronics industries (DL), and the automotive industry (KM). The examination of comparative advantage dynamics consists of industry concentration, regional specialization, and the technology gap. Using data regarding sectoral employment by means of the relative Gini index of spatial concentration, we figure out the time scale of industrial concentration and development, with the aim to detect agglomeration or dispersion trends. Using the same data in another way, we calculate the modified Gini index of specialization with an aim to specify the respective industrial specialization in the NUTS3 regions. The technology gap is gathered by means of shift share analysis and represents regional technological convergence regarding the technological development of a selected benchmark. We also explore the possible causality of foreign direct investment and regional technological convergence, aimed at FDI contribution for regional development. Economic interpretation and discussion of the results of the analysis are included in the conclusion of the article.