IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/respol/v53y2024i2s0048733323001920.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technology, global value chains and functional specialisation in Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Bontadini, Filippo
  • Evangelista, Rinaldo
  • Meliciani, Valentina
  • Savona, Maria

Abstract

This paper provides empirical evidence on the role of technology in affecting the relationship between the participation of EU countries and industries in Global Value Chains (GVCs) and their employment structure over the period 2000–2014. The empirical analysis is based on country-sector level data for 21 EU countries on employment, trade in value added, patents and investments in intangible assets, and focusses on backward linkages within GVCs. The role of technology is analysed by taking into account both the technological intensity of country-sectors participating in GVC and that of their GVC partners. We study the employment structure by looking at the shares of managers and manual workers, which reflect the “functional specialisation” of the country-sector within GVCs. We find that participation in GVC per se is not related to the employment structure of a country-sector. We show that different patterns of GVC integration and functional specialisation emerge that depend on the initial patents/intangibles intensity of the country-sector integrating in GVC and those of the partners.

Suggested Citation

  • Bontadini, Filippo & Evangelista, Rinaldo & Meliciani, Valentina & Savona, Maria, 2024. "Technology, global value chains and functional specialisation in Europe," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:53:y:2024:i:2:s0048733323001920
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2023.104908
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733323001920
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.respol.2023.104908?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David H. Autor & David Dorn & Gordon H. Hanson, 2016. "The China Shock: Learning from Labor-Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 8(1), pages 205-240, October.
    2. Reda Cherif & Fuad Hasanov, 2019. "The Return of the Policy That Shall Not Be Named: Principles of Industrial Policy," IMF Working Papers 2019/074, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Roman Stöllinger, 2016. "Structural change and global value chains in the EU," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 43(4), pages 801-829, November.
    4. Cédric Durand & Wiliiam Milberg, 2020. "Intellectual monopoly in global value chains," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 404-429, March.
    5. Ekaterina Turkina & Ari Van Assche, 2018. "Global connectedness and local innovation in industrial clusters," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(6), pages 706-728, August.
    6. Richard Baldwin & Javier Lopez-Gonzalez, 2015. "Supply-chain Trade: A Portrait of Global Patterns and Several Testable Hypotheses," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(11), pages 1682-1721, November.
    7. João Amador & Sónia Cabral, 2017. "Networks of Value-added Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(7), pages 1291-1313, July.
    8. William MILBERG & Deborah WINKLER, 2011. "Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: Problems of theory and measurement," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(3-4), pages 341-365, December.
    9. Fagerberg, Jan, 1994. "Technology and International Differences in Growth Rates," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 32(3), pages 1147-1175, September.
    10. Blundell, Richard & Griffith, Rachel & Windmeijer, Frank, 2002. "Individual effects and dynamics in count data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 113-131, May.
    11. Jona-Lasinio, Cecilia & Manzocchi, Stefano & Meliciani, Valentina, 2019. "Knowledge based capital and value creation in global supply chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    12. Annamaria Simonazzi & Andrea Ginzburg & Gianluigi Nocella, 2013. "Economic relations between Germany and southern Europe," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 37(3), pages 653-675.
    13. Wolfgang Keller, 2002. "Geographic Localization of International Technology Diffusion," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(1), pages 120-142, March.
    14. Neil Foster-McGregor & Johannes Poeschl & Robert Stehrer, 2016. "Offshoring and the Elasticity of Labour Demand," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 515-540, July.
    15. Gagliardi, Luisa, 2019. "The impact of foreign technological innovation on domestic employment via the industry mix," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 1523-1533.
    16. Dosi, Giovanni & Grazzi, Marco & Moschella, Daniele, 2015. "Technology and costs in international competitiveness: From countries and sectors to firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 1795-1814.
    17. Maria Savona & Filippo Bontadini, 2023. "Revisiting the Natural Resource Curse: Backward Linkages for Export Diversification and Structural Economic Transformation," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 54(2), pages 378-421, March.
    18. Corrado, Carol & Haskel, Jonathan & Jona-Lasinio, Cecilia & Iommi, Massimiliano, 2016. "Intangible investment in the EU and US before and since the Great Recession and its contribution to productivity growth," EIB Working Papers 2016/08, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    19. Pietrobelli, Carlo & Rabellotti, Roberta, 2011. "Global Value Chains Meet Innovation Systems: Are There Learning Opportunities for Developing Countries?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1261-1269, July.
    20. McWilliam, Sarah E. & Kim, Jung Kwan & Mudambi, Ram & Nielsen, Bo Bernhard, 2020. "Global value chain governance: Intersections with international business," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    21. Daron Acemoglu & Pascual Restrepo, 2017. "Secular Stagnation? The Effect of Aging on Economic Growth in the Age of Automation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 174-179, May.
    22. Gaaitzen de Vries & Aobo Jiang & Oscar Lemmers & Shang‐Jin Wei, 2021. "Firm productivity and functional specialisation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(5), pages 1232-1260, May.
    23. Fujita, Masahisa & Krugman, Paul & Mori, Tomoya, 1999. "On the evolution of hierarchical urban systems1," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 209-251, February.
    24. Giuliani, Elisa & Pietrobelli, Carlo & Rabellotti, Roberta, 2005. "Upgrading in Global Value Chains: Lessons from Latin American Clusters," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 549-573, April.
    25. Cohen, Wesley M., 2010. "Fifty Years of Empirical Studies of Innovative Activity and Performance," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 129-213, Elsevier.
    26. repec:bla:devpol:v:27:y:2009:i:5:p:483-502 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. repec:oec:stiaaa:2016/1-en is not listed on IDEAS
    28. Gene M. Grossman & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2008. "Trading Tasks: A Simple Theory of Offshoring," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(5), pages 1978-1997, December.
    29. Elena Verdolini & Marzio Galeotti, 2009. "At Home and Abroad: An Empirical Analysis of Innovation and Diffusion in Energy-Efficient Technologies," Working Papers 2009.123, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    30. Robert R. Wiggins & Timothy W. Ruefli, 2005. "Schumpeter's ghost: Is hypercompetition making the best of times shorter?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(10), pages 887-911, October.
    31. Giovanni Dosi & Keith Pavitt & Luc Soete, 1990. "The Economics of Technical Change and International Trade," LEM Book Series, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy, number dosietal-1990, November.
    32. Prebisch, Raúl, 1950. "The economic development of Latin America and its principal problems," Sede de la CEPAL en Santiago (Estudios e Investigaciones) 29973, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    33. Blundell, Richard & Griffith, Rachel & Van Reenen, John, 1995. "Dynamic Count Data Models of Technological Innovation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(429), pages 333-344, March.
    34. Ariel L. Wirkierman & Tommaso Ciarli & Maria Savona, 2023. "A taxonomy of European innovation clubs," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 40(1), pages 1-34, April.
    35. Reijnders, Laurie S.M. & de Vries, Gaaitzen J., 2018. "Technology, offshoring and the rise of non-routine jobs," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 412-432.
    36. Neil Foster-McGregor & Robert Stehrer & Gaaitzen Vries, 2013. "Offshoring and the skill structure of labour demand," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 149(4), pages 631-662, December.
    37. Ambos, Björn & Brandl, Kristin & Perri, Alessandra & Scalera, Vittoria G. & Van Assche, Ari, 2021. "The nature of innovation in global value chains," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(4).
    38. Valeria Cirillo & Dario Guarascio, 2015. "Jobs and Competitiveness in a Polarised Europe," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 50(3), pages 156-160, May.
    39. Ha‐Joon Chang & Antonio Andreoni, 2020. "Industrial Policy in the 21st Century," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 51(2), pages 324-351, March.
    40. Thomas Kemeny, 2011. "Are international technology gaps growing or shrinking in the age of globalization?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 1-35, January.
    41. Ken Warwick, 2013. "Beyond Industrial Policy: Emerging Issues and New Trends," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers 2, OECD Publishing.
    42. Valentina Meliciani & Maria Savona, 2015. "The determinants of regional specialisation in business services: agglomeration economies, vertical linkages and innovation," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(2), pages 387-416.
    43. Verdolini, Elena & Galeotti, Marzio, 2011. "At home and abroad: An empirical analysis of innovation and diffusion in energy technologies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 119-134, March.
    44. Nadia Garbellini & Enrico Marelli & Ariel Luis Wirkierman, 2014. "Domestic demand and global production in the Eurozone: A multi-regional input-output assessment of the global crisis," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 336-364, May.
    45. Victor Stolzenburg & Daria Taglioni & Deborah Winkler, 2019. "Economic upgrading through global value chain participation: which policies increase the value-added gains?," Chapters, in: Stefano Ponte & Gary Gereffi & Gale Raj-Reichert (ed.), Handbook on Global Value Chains, chapter 30, pages 483-505, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    46. Ekaterina Turkina & Ari Van Assche, 2018. "Global Connectedness and Local Innovation in Industrial Clusters," CIRANO Working Papers 2018s-12, CIRANO.
    47. Maciej J. Grodzicki & Tomasz Geodecki, 2016. "New Dimensions of Core-Periphery Relations in an Economically Integrated Europe: The Role of Global Value Chains," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(5), pages 377-404, September.
    48. Bathelt, Harald & Li, Pengfei, 2020. "Processes of building cross-border knowledge pipelines," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    49. Stöllinger, Roman, 2021. "Testing the Smile Curve: Functional Specialisation and Value Creation in GVCs," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 93-116.
    50. Laursen, Keld & Meliciani, Valentina, 2010. "The role of ICT knowledge flows for international market share dynamics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 687-697, June.
    51. Marcel P Timmer & Sébastien Miroudot & Gaaitzen J de Vries, 2019. "Functional specialisation in trade," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(1), pages 1-30.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eduardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, 2024. "Technological diversification through global value chains in European regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2429, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2024.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Filippo Bontadini & Rinaldo Evangelista & Valentina Meliciani & Maria Savona, 2021. "Asymmetries in Global Value Chain Integration, Technology and Employment Structures in Europe: Country and Sectoral Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 9438, CESifo.
    2. Filippo Bontadini & Rinaldo Evangelista & Valentina Meliciani & Maria Savona, 2019. "Integration in Global Value Chains and Employment in Europe," SPRU Working Paper Series 2019-16, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    3. Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti & Ari Van Assche, 2021. "Making sense of global value chain-oriented policies: The trifecta of tasks, linkages, and firms," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(3), pages 327-346, September.
    4. Lorenzo Cresti & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Weak sectors and weak ties? Labour dependence and asymmetric positioning in GVCs," LEM Papers Series 2023/10, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    5. Andrea Coveri & Antonello Zanfei, 2023. "The virtues and limits of specialization in global value chains: analysis and policy implications," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(1), pages 73-90, March.
    6. Lorenzo Cresti & Giovanni Dosi & Federico Riccio & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Italy and the Trap of GVC Downgrading: Labour Dependence in the European Geography of Production," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(3), pages 869-906, November.
    7. Jona-Lasinio, Cecilia & Manzocchi, Stefano & Meliciani, Valentina, 2019. "Knowledge based capital and value creation in global supply chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    8. Cecilia Jona Lasinio & Stefano Manzocchi & Valentina Meliciani, 2017. "Knowledge Based Capital and Value Creation in Global Supply Chains," Working Papers LuissLab 17134, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, LUISS Guido Carli.
    9. Maria Savona, 2021. "Revisiting High Development Theory to Explain Upgrading Prospects in Business Services Global Value Chains," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(2), pages 206-226, April.
    10. Alexander Jaax & Sébastien Miroudot, 2021. "Capturing value in GVCs through intangible assets: The role of the trade–investment–intellectual property nexus," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(3), pages 433-452, September.
    11. Emanuele Brancati & Raffaele Brancati & Dario Guarascio & Andrea Maresca & Manuel Romagnoli & Antonello Zanfei, 2018. "Firm-level Drivers of Export Performance and External Competitiveness in Italy," European Economy - Discussion Papers 087, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    12. Ito, Keiko & Ikeuchi, Kenta & Criscuolo, Chiara & Timmis, Jonathan & Bergeaud, Antonin, 2023. "Global value chains and domestic innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(3).
    13. Coveri, Andrea & Paglialunga, Elena & Zanfei, Antonello, 2024. "Global value chains and within-country inequality: The role of functional positioning," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 382-397.
    14. Federico Riccio & Lorenzo Cresti & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2022. "The labour share along global value chains. Perspectives and evidence from sectoral interdependence," LEM Papers Series 2022/11, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    15. Ron Boschma, 2021. "Global Value Chains from an Evolutionary Economic Geography perspective: a research agenda," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2134, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2021.
    16. Federico Riccio & Giovanni Dosi & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Smile without a reason why: functional specialisation and income distribution along global value chains," LEM Papers Series 2023/31, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    17. Gideon Ndubuisi & Solomon Owusu, 2021. "How important is GVC participation to export upgrading?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(10), pages 2887-2908, October.
    18. Stefan Pahl & Marcel P. Timmer, 2020. "Do Global Value Chains Enhance Economic Upgrading? A Long View," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(9), pages 1683-1705, July.
    19. Giovanni Dosi & Andrea Roventini & Emmanuele Russo, 2020. "Public Policies And The Art Of Catching Up," Working Papers hal-03242369, HAL.
    20. Emanuele Brancati & Carlo Pietrobelli & Caio Torres Mazzi, 2024. "The Influence of value chain governance on innovation performance: A study of Italian suppliers," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 14(2), pages 319-344, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Global value chains; Functional specialisation; Employment; Technology; Intangible assets; Patents;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:53:y:2024:i:2:s0048733323001920. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/respol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.