A Systematic Review of Industrial Location Criteria

Research on industrial location criteria has grown since the first industrial revolution, revealing key factors for choosing sites for industrial parks. However, macro-elements like economy, culture, and technology continuously reshape these criteria. Most existing studies focus on specific factors, indicating a need for a comprehensive synthesis. This study employs systematic literature review (SLR) methodology following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. to analyze scientific information and aim to summarize essential criteria for selecting industrial zones. Following the screening and eligibility assessment process, 182 full-text studies were reviewed, with 60 recent publications emphasized for synthesizing current evidence, complemented by 56 supplementary references to support theoretical and contextual analysis. Findings include: (1) the need for frequent updates to criteria in response to global economic and scientific trends; (2) traditional factors like natural resources, transportation systems, costs, and population density remain significant; and (3) of the identified criteria organized into six main evaluation factors, public health emerged as an important one, especially highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the potential for project failures due to overlooked criteria, regularly reviewing and updating industrial location considerations is essential and can serve as a valuable resource for future research and practice.