Abstract

This article analyzes the question of local high-technology location and development by examining the behavior of companies within Orange County, a rapidly growing high-technology "highway" in Southern California. This study reaches several important conclusions. First, high-technology firms operate according to a different set of factors than traditional industry in making their location decisions. Second, three salient, and somewhat related, components govern high-technology location decisions: the availability of professional and technical personnel, the general ambiance and lifestyle of the area, and the desire of the owner/CEO to live in the area. Third, only a "modified" industrial infrastructure is needed; that is, high-technology firms are "footloose" in their location decision and questions of proximity to markets and suppliers are secondary. Strategies to overcome high housing costs are also explored.