On Growth Poles

Abstract

Perroux argued that economic space as an abstract field of forces leads to the notion of a vector of economic forces, and hence to the concept of growth poles.

His further view that economic development necessarily requires spatial polarisation is an inaccurate and damaging limitation of this concept. Whilst the early stages of economic development must generate growth points due to a lack of entrepreneurship outside these centres, development in advanced countries is becoming less polarised. This is caused by the increasingly diversified structure of business which results in an extensive spatial spread of innovations and economic development. It follows that developing countries can accelerate their growth by creating diversified corporate structures which diminish the exigencies of a polarised strategy.