Various studies have provided evidence of the advantages of the ability of
metropolitan areas to attract hi-tech industries, which employ advanced tec
hnology and are strongly involved in the process of innovation. This paper
presents the results of an empirical study of the location choice of Israel
i hi-tech industries within a metropolitan area, carried out in the Norther
n region of Israel (which encompasses the Haifa metropolitan area and its s
urrounding localities) and based on field-survey data obtained from hi-tech
plants. The study investigates the effect of different factors on location
choice and also identifies the direct contribution of each factor to the p
robability of choosing the metropolitan area as a preferred location. The i
mplications of these findings for industrial policy are also discussed.