Geographia Polonica (2022) vol. 95, iss. 2
Spatial patterns and time-accessibility of supplier network of the automotive industry in Slovakia
Geographia Polonica (2022) vol. 95, iss. 2, pp. 181-200 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0232
Abstract
The article deals with the spatial pattern of the supply network of the automotive industry according to the time-accessibility to four car assembly plants in Slovakia. Empirical results are anchored in the spatial concept of integrated periphery and theoretical framework of the nested structure. We obtained the data after a personal meeting with the General Secretary of the Association of the Automotive Industry in Slovakia.The database contains a list of 313 suppliers of different levels. We assume that with increasing distance from automobile assembly plants and decreasing level of the supply network, the geographical concentration of the supply network will become lower. Our results confirm the assumption that tier-1 suppliers are located closer to assembly plants with higher geographical concentration compared to bottom suppliers‘ levels. On the other hand, these spatial patterns change when we consider a regional production system of the automotive industry that reaches beyond the national territory scale (e.g., KIA) or a launch of a new car assembly plant (JLR) arriving into a developed environment with an existing network of suppliers.
Keywords: Automotive industry, integrated periphery, nested structure, supply network, time-accessibility, spatial pattern, Slovakia
[jaroslav.rusnak@uniba.sk], Department of Economic and Social Geography Demography and Territorial Development Comenius University in Bratislava Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava: Slovak Republic
[pavol.durcek@uniba.sk], Department of Economic and Social Geography Demography and Territorial Development Comenius University in Bratislava Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava: Slovak Republic
[takac28@uniba.sk], Department of Economic and Social Geography Demography and Territorial Development Comenius University in Bratislava Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava: Slovak Republic
[kristian.ovari46@gmail.com], Statistical Office of the SR Lamačská cesta 3/C, 840 05 Bratislava: Słovak Republic
