Institutionalised Trust as a Fundamental Quality of Business Locations

The metrology and surveying services create institutionalised trust as a basis for the coordination and quality assurance of economic activity. It ensures uniform reference systems, reliable geoinformation and a quality-tested metrological infrastructure and thus has a wide range of effects on a region's locational quality and ability to evolve. It secures demand, particularly for goods of high quality that is difficult to verify individually, reduces transaction costs, facilitates access to foreign markets and strengthens confidence in the European single market. At the same time, it promotes entrepreneurial activity by preventing unfair competition and rewarding quality competition. The specific impact channels are diverse and require a detailed examination of the individual tasks and activities. This article uses a layered model of competitiveness to summarise how these generate public value and contribute to the quality of a business location.