1,720,981 research outputs found
The auto industry in Thailand: value transfer, technological dependence and relations between local and foreign capital
No full textThe paper analyzes the features of Thai auto industry from the late 1980s to the present. It uses an approach consistent with the Global Value Chain analyses, and focuses on three aspects: the relation between local and foreign capital; the role of the local supply base in the process of value creation; value capture and transfer dynamics among countries. The country is a relevant case as it is the largest ASEAN market and a main regional and global export hub. Thailand represents the centre of the regional production networks of all Japanese automakers and, from the Asian crisis (1997‐1998), of the biggest western too. It has also a fundamental role for automakers regional market access strategies. The paper places Thai auto industry origins and development in the context of the expansion of Japanese industrial capital in Southeast Asia. Hence, it assumes that Japanese production organization has both shaped the local automotive manufacturing sector and determined its structural weaknesses. Data from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database from 1989 to 2010 are processed in the paper, in order to analyze trade relations between Thailand on one hand and ASEAN selected countries and “Triad” countries on the other and, hence, to assess value transfer dynamics. In sum, the paper underlines two main problems for local auto industry: the first is a substantial technological dependence from foreign assets and the existence of captive linkages between foreign assemblers or first tier suppliers and Thai suppliers; the second is a partial transfer towards the Triad ‐ mainly Japan ‐ of the value created in the country, which happens through technological dependence and trade deficit mechanisms
Industrial Development and manufacturing in Chinese territories: the contribution of special economic enclaves policies
No full textThis paper aims to analyse the role of Special Economic Zones in the development of industry in China, focusing on Guandong counties. Special Economic Zones have often been used by governments with the goal of stimulating industrialization.There is a debate in literature that discusses if the establishment of Special Economic Zones is effective in producing spillover effects across any territories, or whether these only take place if the receiving area has already a high level of economic performance. After an extensive description of the types and aims of the special zones existing in China, we turn our attention to test, through a quantile regression methodology, if the role of special zones is changing depending upon the level of industrialization already existing in the counties. In this sense, our work is an empirical attempt to shed some light on the possible uneven distribution of the gains coming from the establishment of development zones
Le contraddizioni delle politiche industriali selettive. Il caso dell’automotive in Tailandia
No full textWe critically analyse the case of selective industrial policies for automotive industry in Thailand. Founding on previous literature and official government documents, we describe the implementing policies, dividing them in four phases, according to the main trend they followed.
We suggest which results the policies have or have not reached by analysing the current state of the sector. Our main point is that selective policies implemented in the country
were successful in helping the development of the sector as a whole, contributing to the role of Thailand as main actor in the international market. However, such policies were not able to solve some of the main issues of automotive sector in the country related to local development, such as the technology dependence on foreign (mainly Japanese) firms and the weakness of local suppliers
L'industria dell'auto in Cina e nei paesi emergenti dell'Asia orientale
No full textIl presente lavoro di tesi punta ad analizzare il settore automotive nel contesto dei paesi emergenti dell'Asia orientale: gli ASEAN–5 (Indonesia, Filippine, Malesia, Tailandia e Vietnam) e la Cina. Le motivazioni del lavoro derivano dall'importanza macroeconomica che il settore riveste nel contesto mondiale, e dell'investimento specifico che diversi paesi in via di sviluppo hanno fatto per la strutturazione di questa industria. In questo contesto, la regione analizzata rappresenta probabilmente la più interessante tra quelle in via di sviluppo. In primo luogo, perché essa costituisce la principale fonte di offerta e di domanda nel settore. Inoltre, perché essa costituisce un tipico esempio di regionalizzazione della produzione intorno ad alcuni centri produttivi di rilievo globale. Infine, perché al suo interno si sono date diverse importanti esperienze di politiche selettive per il settore (tra cui Cina e Tailandia) che però hanno dato luogo ad esiti differenti.
Il lavoro ruota intorno a tre domande di ricerca. La prima riguarda la configurazione del settore automotive nella regione e se si possa parlare, più che di livello–paese o in ottica comparata, di una sua dimensione regionale. La seconda si interroga sulle determinanti delle performance del settore, al fine di capire se vi siano delle differenze intra–regionali. La terza vuole rintracciare se, come per le dinamiche economiche in generale, anche per quanto riguarda questa industria la Cina costituisca un caso a sé ed un potenziale modello di sviluppo alternativo per l'Asia orientale.
Le domande di ricerca vengono trattate trasversalmente nei tre capitoli, i quali analizzano il settore sul piano macro, meso e micro. Per quanto riguarda la configurazione del settore nella regione, emerge da un lato che queste economie si trovano ad oggi in uno spazio produttivo integrato e, d'altro canto, che i diversi paesi rivestono un ruolo molto differenziato nella regione e su base mondiale,
disegnando il quadro di un'area complessivamente forte, ma internamente caratterizzata dalla presenza di alcuni poli di attrazione e di altre economie al margine. Rispetto al secondo quesito di ricerca, si evidenzia chiaramente che la forma che l'industria dell'auto ha assunto oggi in tutti i paesi analizzati sia stata profondamente influenzata dal ruolo giocato dagli attori transnazionali dominanti nel settore. Tuttavia, il successo o meno delle economie e la possibilità per le loro imprese di ottenere buoni risultati sembra sia dovuto principalmente alla qualità dei rapporti che il contesto locale e le politiche sono in grado di sviluppare con tali attori, che su base micro si traduce in migliori performance per le imprese locali che gestiscono relazioni dirette di importazione ed esportazione. Nelle parti che ineriscono alla specificità dell'esperienza cinese, infine, rileva come, al di là dell'immenso mercato che essa rappresenta, ruolo fondamentale nel successo della Cina nel settore è stato rivestito dalle politiche selettive implementate dai governi a partire dagli anni Ottanta. Questi hanno infatti investito cospicuamente sull'automotive come volano di sviluppo, puntando in particolare su un numero limitato di campioni nazionali di proprietà pubblica e su un'interazione con gli attori esteri accuratamente pilotata e deliberatamente votata al trasferimento tecnologico e all'accumulo di risorse tecnologiche. A livello micro, questo si traduce in una caratterizzazione delle imprese più produttive che è diversa rispetto a quella della regione nel suo complesso, e che punta maggiormente sui vantaggi derivanti da forme di importazione diretta.This work analyses the automotive sector in the region of Southeast Asian emerging economies (namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) and China. The motivations of the work stem both from the macroeconomic relevance of the industry at the global level and from the specific attention that many governments of developing countries devoted to the growth of this sector. In this context, the analysed region is probably the most interesting among developing ones. First, because it is nowadays the most important source of supply and demand. Second, because it is one of the most vivid examples of regionalisation of production around some main globally relevant poles. Finally, because in this area different experiences of selective policies for the sector (among which China's and Thailand's) were born, although with mixed results.
The thesis is built around three research questions. The first is about the configuration of the sector in the region, and whether the sector itself has a regional dimension or not. The second tries to identify the determinants of the performance of the sector, in order to understand if inter–regional differences exist. The third aims at identifying whether, as for the general economic performances, also with respect to the automotive industry China represents a special case, and a potential alternative development model for the surrounding countries.
The three research questions are analysed across the three chapters of the work, which analyse the sector from both a macro, meso and micro perspective. Concerning the sector's configuration in the region – first research question –, on the one hand these economies result as integrated in the same production network, while on the other hand they take on a very different role on a regional and global basis. The resulting framework is that of an overall strong area, that is internally divided between some main regional poles on one side and some marginal
economies on the other. Regarding the second question, it is very clear that transnational globally dominant actors in the sector have had a huge role in shaping the automotive industry in each of the countries. However, the success of any of these economies and of their firms derives mainly by the quality of the relations that the local context and policies are able to build with the foreign actors. On the micro level, this translates in better performances for those local firms that hold direct import and export relations. Finally, the parts of the thesis related to the Chinese specificity highlights how, apart from the huge market that China represents, the selective policies implemented by governments since the 80's have played a fundamental role in the country's success in the sector. In fact, Chinese governments have focused greatly on automotive industry as a flywheel for economic development, promoting in particular some SOEs as national champions and the interaction with foreign actors for technology transfer and technology accumulation. On the micro level, differently from the regional case, this translates into better performances for firms that are involved in direct imports
China and Europe networks in health. An empirical analysis on co-publications
No full textIn recent years, the impressive growth of China after the opening to market economy is facing long-term sustainability risks. In particular, the necessity to couple economic growth with an increase in the population's well-being has started to be raised. As health is a pivotal sector in terms of impact on life quality of the population, to deepen the knowledge of the factors and the dynamics regulating enhancements in this field becomes particularly relevant. Progress in health directly derives from progresses made in scientific research. This paper analyses the evolution of international cooperation of Chinese institutions in health-related scientific fields, measured in terms of co-publications. Changes in China's position in the international scientific literature are traced, focusing then on the current structure of co-authorships with the first five EU countries in terms of GDP and highlighting differences in the weight, the structure and the degree of complexity of the relation networks
Exuberant Proclivity Toward Non-Standard Employment: Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Data
Full text linkIn most industrialized countries, temporary and non-standard forms of employment have become a pervasive feature of the labor market. At the firm level, however, their diffusion is less uniform than expected. While some firms exhibit high propensity to use non-standard labor, others make no use of it. The most conventional explanations (market uncertainty, production regimes, competitive pressure) fail to account for such heterogeneity. In this article the authors develop an alternative explanation that links non-standard employment to the firm-specific availability of managerial resources: Whenever the latter are relatively scarce, firms make larger use of non-standard labor to reduce coordination and operating costs. Using a linked employer–employee panel of manufacturing firms from the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), the authors provide empirical support for this explanation. The result is robust to different estimation strategies and controlling for alternative drivers of non-standard employment. This finding suggests that the use of non-standard labor is motivated by the firm’s needs to compensate for specific managerial scarcities
Heterogeneous effects of spinoff foundations on the means of technology transfer: the role of past academic-industry collaborations
Full text linkFocusing on the Italian population of academic entrepreneurs, we analyze the effect of establishing a spinoff firm on researchers' attitudes towards carrying out other activities in collaboration with firms, namely, co-publishing and co-patenting. We investigate the heterogeneity in this effect in terms of existing collaborations with firms in the pre-spinoff period. Using a counterfactual analysis on subgroups, we verify that academic entrepreneurs with previous publications with firms diminish their co-publishing and increase their co-patenting after founding a spinoff. Conversely, academic entrepreneurs who had no previous publications with firms increase their co-publishing and decrease their co-patenting. We maintain that such results are related to academics' learning processes connected with their previous technology transfer activities. The policy implications are related to technology transfer aims and contradict the idea that promoting spinoffs is an appropriate "one-size-fits-all" initiative
Opportunità e sfide per l’industria verde. Un quadro sulle specializzazioni delle province italiane e implicazioni per la definizione delle politiche industriali energetiche
No full textDefining and measuring industrial sectors based on environmental, economic, and social sustainability parameters is crucial for shaping priorities in energy industrial policies and fostering ecological transition. The concept of the green industry has recently gained attention in scientific research and national institutions, yet a clear definition and consensus on measurement are lacking. This study offers an original contribution in this realm by using the case of Italian provinces. Employing a sector-based approach and recent academic and policy literature, we create indices for provincial export specialization, identifying territories with green exports or vulnerability to transition. The results form a taxonomy of areas with potential to drive or be threatened by the transition, including those specialized in hard-to-abate sectors. This analysis informs on industrial policies for the transition, focusing on areas with existing productions and skills to build upon, while identifying regions requiring specific accompanying policies to avoid resistance to change in the face of structural shifts
Regional social context and FDI. An empirical investigation on Chinese acquisitions in Europe
No full textEuropean regions are characterized by different economic, technical and social conditions. Such differ- ences might also explain the different strength of European regions in attracting foreign direct invest- ments (FDI). Following recent strands of literature, in this paper we try to identify whether the presence of regional differences in the social context, once considering a set of regional characteristics related to the economic structure and innovative endowments, affects the location of multinational enteprises. To do so, we develop an empirical model using data on Chinese brownfield investments towards European regions. Our results confirm that social context overall matters in location choices, even if heterogeneous effects arise when taking into account technological differences in target sectors. Our evidence is useful in increasing the awareness of policy-makers and of the academic debate on the necessity to consider possible spillover and backlash effects both of social policies and of FDI attraction initiatives
Changing structures in transnational research networks: An analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on China's scientific collaborations
Full text linkResearch networks play pivotal roles in the creation and diffusion of knowledge. It is widely acknowledged that frontier research tends to cluster around transnational research networks (TRNs), which also represent strategic tools for nurturing innovation in R&D-intensive companies. Therefore, they are crucial for promoting the rapid development of the knowledge economy in underdeveloped countries.
In this context, China's experience is particularly relevant because the country has invested heavily in knowledge production, which is arguably one of the most important structural changes at the global level in recent decades, with important implications for the division of labor and trade among countries. The country has been investing in order to become the scientific world leader, and in this transition, research collaboration, in particular with other countries, can become strategic. In this work, we analyze whether COVID-19 and related research have affected the shape of the network and the intensity of collaborations involving China in the field of health studies, comparing it to the case of the U.S. as the global leader in research (Fry et al., 2020). In particular, we wish to assess whether COVID-19-related research has pushed toward larger and more intensive collaborations internationally than before the pandemic or whether a tendency to closure has prevailed has prevailed. This also means understanding whether COVID-19, as a global phenomenon, has affected China in rising as an international research leader. To do so, we built an original dataset of international, coauthored publications involving China or the U.S. in selected health research fields. Our analysis first shows that COVID-19 research has assumed specific features distinct from other topics in the same research field, shaping research networks in a peculiar way for both China and the U.S. Second, for China, COVID-19 does not appear to have represented an opportunity to further climb up the international research ladder, as it has attracted a relatively low and more volatile number of collaborators from different countries
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