The Impact of Romania's EU Accession on the Foreign Direct Investments Location–A Manufacturing Sector Analysis

Several variables (most of them emphasized at regional level) as: the existence of potential markets, infrastructure, the existence of agglomeration economies, R&D intensity, labor costs, raw materials’ cost, are, according to the field's literature, some of the main determinants of a Foreign Direct Investment. Providing a clear quantification of the importance of each of them is of significant importance for Romania today when the Foreign Direct Investments might be considered one of the main pillars of a future sustainable growth. The novelty brought by this study is the inclusion of Romania's accession in the EU among the determinants of the Foreign Direct Investment's localization process. The research is based on a survey conducted on a sample of 235 firms that met five previously defined criteria.