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Offshoring and Specialisation: Are Industries Moving Abroad?

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  • Ioannis Bournakis
  • Michela Vecchi
  • Francesco Venturini

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of off-shoring on specialisation via its effect on national endowments and productivity. We use different definition of off-shoring to properly capture international fragmentation of production, while controlling for countries? stocks of R&D and ICT capital. Using industry data for the US, Japan and Europe we show that while offshoring of materials can benefit a wide range of industries, service and intra-industry offshoring can decrease specialisation in high-tech industry, both within manufacturing and services. This effect can be compensated with increasing R&D investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Ioannis Bournakis & Michela Vecchi & Francesco Venturini, 2011. "Offshoring and Specialisation: Are Industries Moving Abroad?," Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica 98/2011, Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia.
    • Handle: RePEc:pia:wpaper:98/2011
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    3. Martin Borowiecki & Bernhard Dachs & Doris Hanzl-Weiss & Steffen Kinkel & Johannes Pöschl & Magdolna Sass & Thomas Christian Schmall & Robert Stehrer & Andrea Szalavetz, 2012. "Global Value Chains and the EU Industry," wiiw Research Reports 383, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.

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