Multinational firms and territorial embeddedness: Social context, networks and functional specialization

This introduction discusses the linkages between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the local communities hosting foreign subsidiaries or affiliates. It points out what we can say with relative confidence on the contribution of FDI to the development and growth processes of EU regions, and what we cannot say because of the lack of sound empirical evidence. It offers a way forward for understanding the issues that still need extra-analyses, while documenting how the papers included in this special issue contribute to this debate.