New Tendencies in Inter-Firm Relations in the Automotive Industry and their Impact on European Periphery Suppliers

This paper considers how recent tendencies in automotive production have affected suppliers in the European periphery. Assembly-firm strategies and the consequent reactions of component suppliers are analysed. Demands from the former have led to the emergence of oligopolies in the production of more complex systems. The effects of this productive reorganization on European periphery suppliers are explored with reference to the case of Spain.