Analyzing the relationship between specialization, diversity, and competition between industries and spatial concentration of industries in Iran during the period of 1996-2011)

Distribution of production activities and establishment of industrial units in different regions depends on the decision of firms to locate in certain areas, but there are many important factors that affect the decision-making process. This research’s main goal is to understand the relationship between industry specialization, diversity of industries, competition between industries and the concentration of industries over time. The research method is quantitative and following the method employed by Glaeser et al., (1992) the effect of specialization, relative diversity of industries and competition between industries on industrial concentration has been investigated using geographic weighted regression method. The result of this assessment shows during the study period with the increasing specialization of industries in the county, in most industrial sectors, increasing industry concentration has occurred. But between the relative diversity of industries and industrial competitiveness and the geographic concentration of industries there was no significant relationship in the counties.