National policy for internationalized industries: Neo-liberal interventionism and the UK aerospace industry

The article examines the current reassessment of British policy for the aerospace industry in terms of new theoretical work on state-firm relations. This new work suggests that globalization is affecting traditional patterns of industrial policymaking. Firms are now the dominant actors in the market-place and the role of government is defined by two goals: supporting home firms in international competition, and making the domestic economy an attractive place for foreign firms to do business. The article seeks to examine these arguments via a consideration of UK aerospace policy.