Newcomers from the Periphery: The International Expansion of Polish Automotive Companies

The rapid growth of Central European economies has been related to inward FDI, so these countries are often regarded as dependent market economies. What is interesting in this context the international expansion some domestic-owned manufacturing companies from Europe. Looking through lens global production networks (GPN) and evolutionary resilience perspectives, paper aims identify paths mechanisms development new multinational companies, namely Polish automotive firms expanding around 2010 onwards markets acquisitions greenfield investments Western Europe, North America, Asia. authors ponder on underlying motives barriers process, capabilities, features Polish-owned companies. In order do it, both qualitative (13 interviews with representatives multinationals other stakeholders preceded by content analysis various documents, including company annual reports particular) quantitative (analysis trade, revenues, employment, locational data) insights used for period covering time span between 1999 2020. As result, interpreted a specific critical conjuncture three mechanisms: (1) Central-Eastern since end communism, (2) evolution core, (3) trajectory individual firms. We argue trajectories going cannot be understood without taking into account dynamic interdependence firm-specific capabilities (including position within GPNs) changing characteristics (e.g., evolving regional assets).