Rural Industrialisation in Denmark and the Role of Public Policy

During the 1970s and 1980s major relocation of Danish industry took place to both rural and peripheral areas in Denmark, and the causes of this are examined. The paper looks at the role of public policy in this process, both explicitly regional policy and also economic and social policy having differing regional effects. A marked change in the nature of policy in the mid-1980s is identified, moving from a cost-support policy to a more offensive innovatory policy. However, the conclusion remains that public policy is not a major cause of the new locational trends.