Final answer:
The primary motive for corporate/industrial espionage is economic, as entities seek to improve their competitive edge and financial position by acquiring trade secrets or other sensitive information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The usual motivating factor for corporate/industrial espionage is economic. Companies or individuals engage in this practice to gain a competitive edge and increase their wealth or market position. Industrial espionage can involve the theft of trade secrets, intellectual property, or sensitive information that can provide an economic advantage to the competitor who acquires it. Although there can be other motivations such as political, revenge, or ideological reasons, they are generally secondary to the economic incentives. Slater's acquisition and use of technological information serves as a historical example where the driver behind such espionage was economic gain.