Development of an integrated planning approach for corporate site selection and measure allocation for the improvement of location quality under consideration of dynamic location development in metropolitan areas (MetroPlant)

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Peter Nyhuis; Professor Dr. Thomas Spengler
• Subject Area: Production Systems, Operations Management, Quality Management and Factory Planning
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 377799823

In the course of ongoing megatrends such as globalization and urbanization, the spatial structure in Germany and Europe is changing. One observable development is the emergence of so-called metropolitan regions. In comparison to agglomerations around cities, metropolitan regions offer a great variety of spatial structures, which go together with differences in the quality of economically highly relevant qualitative and quantitative location factors. In order to take economic decisions in corporate site planning on a regional level, these differences have to be taken into account.An analysis of the current research shows a research demand in the field of model-based corporate regional site planning. Three major shortcomings in existing models are identified: First, existing decision models focus on global site planning considering few quantitative location factors. In case of an application of these models on a regional stage, important qualitative and quantitative location factors are neglected in the location decision. Second, existing decision models consider companys time varying requirements for a corporate site as static requirements. Third, future opportunities for site development are not taken into account in the site selection process, although both municipalities and companies can influence the site quality by specific site development measures.It is shown, that an integrated planning approach is missing, which enables a regional corporate site planning with measure allocation based on qualitative and quantitative regional location factors under consideration of municipal and corporate influence on the location development. The proposed research project MetroPlant aims at the development of such an integrated planning approach. Based on the results of a preliminary study, regional location factors and their influenceability are empirically researched. Based on the gained knowledge, an assessment model is developed which enables a deterministic comparison of site alternatives on the basis of economically relevant quantitative and qualitative regional location factors under consideration of company-specific site requirements. Subsequently, a decision model is developed, which enables both a site selection under consideration of municipal and corporate influence on location quality and an allocation of corporate site development measures under budget restrictions. The potential of the integrated planning approach is investigated in case studies. Moreover, further research areas in the framework of regional site planning and development are identified. The achieved results are transferred in science and industry by various publications.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants