Economic diversification and connectivity in the Veracruz-Puebla region

This study analyzes the relationship between road connectivity and economic development in 273 municipalities in Veracruz and Puebla, Mexico. Using spatial statistics and correspondence analysis, it examines how road infrastructure (inter-municipal and internal-road connectivity) facilitates territorial integration, market access, and the reduction of inequalities. The findings highlight three key elements: 1) Economic diversification across the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, supported by micro and small firms, forms the basis of regional development; 2) Road connectivity is a crucial enabler of economic complementarity between urban and rural municipalities; 3) A unique productive ecosystem is generated, in which the spatial interaction between the road network and intermediate cities shapes a polycentric and endogenous development model. The study concludes that the region transcends the development paradigm based on large urban agglomerations. Functional complementarity, enhanced by infrastructure, transforms micro and small firms into the primary drivers of local and regional growth, highlighting the catalytic role of connectivity in territorial integration.