The Impact of the Intermodal Transport Infrastructure Connectivity on Foreign Direct Investment in the European Union

In this paper we propose to evaluate the impact of intermodal connectivity of transport infrastructures on foreign direct investments in the European Union. In this context, we will demonstrate the hypothesis that the density of network nodes is more important than the size of networks to attract external investors. The impact assessment pursues two objectives: to quantify the extent to which intermodal connections influence the volume of foreign direct investment in the Member States of the Union and to spatially prioritize the construction/interconnection of infrastructures in the European space. Knowing the impact of spatial accessibility given by intermodal connection on attracting foreign direct investment is a mandatory element for substantiating transport policies in each EU member country. The volume of foreign direct investment is directly proportional to the degree of interconnection of transport infrastructure, which give the intermodal nodes the role of territorial and economic cohesion agents at the scale of the community space. The intermodal connectivity gap creates the map of the investment deficit risk, due to the reduced attractiveness of the respective spaces. Therefore, spatial differences in the endowment of intermodal nodes hierarchize spatial priorities for the interconnection of transport networks.