Spatial Dynamcis in the Markets of M&A

Over the last decade most of the developed world experienced an unprecedented and increasing wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) that only waned during the economic downturn at the beginning of the 21st century. This wave of corporate takeovers led to comprehensive rearrangements in the location of economic decision-making. The present doctoral thesis intends to explore these changes, i.e. the extent to which M&A activities in the 1990s and at the turn of the millennium have affected the economic geography of Germany and Europe. In addition, it investigates the factors that may explain the detected levels and patterns and whether the spatial perspective provides insightful information on the reasons why firms engage in M&As.