The role of talent in firm location decision:A multiple-case study of clean-tech firms in Uppsala

Abstract: The shift from an industrial-based to a knowledge-based economy has impacted market conditions and created a demand for a talented and skilled workforce in knowledge-intensive industries. This paper investigates what the role of talent is, when firms decide for a location by carrying out two studies. Firstly, an extensive literature review was conducted where three factors of firm location decision were identified as: clustering, soft and hard factors, and personal networks. The role of talent continuously emerged in the literature in regards to the three firm location decision factors and appeared to be intertwined in these. Consequently, these factors and the role of talent were conceptualized in an analytical framework. Thereafter, the analytical framework was applied to the second study when conducting a multiple-case study of three clean-tech firms in Uppsala, Sweden. This was done in order to investigate the role of talent in the firms’ location decision. The findings of the multiple-case study revealed that the role of talent was important during the location decision of all three firms where talent was intertwined with the identified location factors. Thus, the multiple-case study confirms that the role of talent impacts firm location decision through being intertwined in the identified firm location decision factors.