Symbolic value and embeddedness of an industrial megaproject: Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg

Max Roessler, Paula Prenzel and Daniel Schiller

Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 2025, vol. 18, issue 2, 309-323

Abstract: Large-scale industrial settlements, such as the establishment of multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries, are megaprojects that face additional challenges when embedding the subsidiary in the region. Part of these challenges may be due to contrasting symbolic values of the industrial project, which can facilitate or hinder embeddedness. This study considers the relevance of symbolic value for the embeddedness of an industrial megaproject through the case of Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. Based on 23 interviews, we examine differences in the symbolic representation of the project among stakeholder groups and show that symbolic value can have supportive or divisive effects on the settlement process and embeddedness.

Keywords: symbolic value; embeddedness; megaprojects; foreign direct investment; multinational enterprise; regional development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society is currently edited by Judith Clifton, Anna Davies, Betsy Donald, Emil Evenhuis, Stefania Fiorentino (Associate Editor), Harry Garretsen, Meric Gertler, Amy Glasmeier, Mia Gray, Robert Hassink, Dieter Kogler, Michael Kitson, Linda Lobao, Charles van Marrewijk, Ron Martin, Peter Sunley, Peter Tyler and Chun Yang

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