Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CatChain (Catching–Up along the Global Value Chain: models, determinants and policy implications in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution)
Período documentado: 2018-05-01 hasta 2020-04-30
CatChain is a research project integrated with a higher education agenda aimed at promoting international, interdisciplinary and inter-sector collaboration. It is designed to build and test a multidisciplinary approach bridging two streams of literature: one on catching–up and one on Global Value Chains, in the context of the Forth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The emerging issue of the 4IR offers the opportunity to analyse the interface between the GVC and Innovation Systems thus addressing the following questions:
- How will the 4IR change GVCs in different parts of the world?
- What are the most effective modes of engaging with GVC in terms of building effective national ISs?
- How should countries and firms respond to the rise of the 4IR to take advantage of this emerging opportunity?
The main aims are to identify:
- whether and how a country should focus more on developing domestic trade networks before entering into GVCs; or whether it should improve its infrastructure and networks in regional value chains by implementing the RIS3 strategy.
- the emerging BMs underpinning the successful entering, learning, and upgrading in GVCs and export, after analysing and validating meaningful case studies.
- how the 4IR will change GVCs in different areas of the world and why some economies are showing signs of being stuck into the so-called “middle income trap”.
- the most effective ways of engaging with GVC in terms of building effective national innovation systems and identify the right policies in order to respond to the rising of the 4IR and to take advantage.
- the conditions that determine the preferable entry strategy and to identify the suitable policy framework.
- How will the 4IR change GVCs in different parts of the world?
- What are the most effective modes of engaging with GVC in terms of building effective national ISs?
- How should countries and firms respond to the rise of the 4IR to take advantage of this emerging opportunity?
The main aims are to identify:
- whether and how a country should focus more on developing domestic trade networks before entering into GVCs; or whether it should improve its infrastructure and networks in regional value chains by implementing the RIS3 strategy.
- the emerging BMs underpinning the successful entering, learning, and upgrading in GVCs and export, after analysing and validating meaningful case studies.
- how the 4IR will change GVCs in different areas of the world and why some economies are showing signs of being stuck into the so-called “middle income trap”.
- the most effective ways of engaging with GVC in terms of building effective national innovation systems and identify the right policies in order to respond to the rising of the 4IR and to take advantage.
- the conditions that determine the preferable entry strategy and to identify the suitable policy framework.
The CatChain project is structured in the following Work Packages (WPs):
WP1: Catching Up Dynamic
Review of studies on Catching–Up between leader and follower countries; it focuses on the role played by one specific driver of Catching-up, which is the opening of windows of opportunities.
WP2: GVC: Analysis, Governance and Models
Map of the distributional outcomes in the value chain; understand how a chain allows local firms to strategically target the activities and relationships; to identify the type of existing governance structures and best practices; to identify factors that influence and trigger the upgrading of a value chain; to review the studies concerning BMs for entering, positioning, learning and upgrading in GVCs and then widening the existing models in an innovative manner.
WP3: Methods and Tools in GVC Analysis
To understand theoretical foundations and the main applications of the methodologies for mapping GVCs; to determine how firms, regions and countries are linked to the global economy; to clarify the different approaches in benchmarking production efficiency and the different methodological features of the indicators used to map and measure the value added.
WP4: Case Studies Country/Sector Specific
To develop new analytical models by specific country case studies; to design ad–hoc interventions that can strengthen their performance.
WP5: Models, Determinants and Policies for Catching-Up along the GVC
To understand how help ELICs in developing new areas of growth and SMEs in reaching a sufficient size to engage in international markets; to understand policy needs to respond to that new reality by helping promoting a business environment that facilitates creating economic and social development from GVC participation; to inform policymakers; to analyse countries’ value chain activity linked to growing sophistication and diversification of exports.
WP6: Training
Training activities in order to strengthen the expertise of ER and ESRs involved and improve their ability to achieve measurable and sustainable results.
As well as Dissemination-Outreach (WP7) and Coordination-Management (WP8).
During this first part of the Project, several activities and events have been carried out in order to achieve the established results.
After having identified researchers' needs, the First Training School for ESRs (D6.3) was organized in Bocconi, focused on Global Value Chains (theoretical concepts and empirical applications).
In addition, the First CatChain Conference on Micro-dynamics, Catching-Up and Global Value Chains was held in Bocconi.
In the first two years of the projects, 89 secondments have been implemented, for a total duration of over 162 person months, by 67 researchers from 12 countries, conducting research on the topic windows of opportunities and Global Value Chains (GVCs), among others.
The following scientific deliverables were carried out:
• D1.1 Catching Up among Firms, Industries and Countries: review of the methodological literature. In particular, the first part of the report surveys the growing empirical literature on catching up by discussing the main driving forces of catching up during the recent decades. Furthermore, it covers the methodological features of the indicators used to map and measure this phenomenon.
D1.2 Windows of Opportunities, GVC and Catching Up: set of model to study how the opening of windows of opportunities affects catching up through the restructuring of global value chains. Both the development of the models and their presentation in the project deliverable presented strong links with the case studies treated in D1.1. The reference literature consisted of the standard development literature as well as the dynamic models in the evolutionary and history–friendly tradition.
• D2.1 Research Report on “New paradigms BMs for SMEs for entering, learning and upgrading in GVCs in the era of 4IR”: literature review on methodologies and models for firms in upgrading in GVCs.
• D2.2 Dataset on “Global Trade Specialisation”: open access online dataset built data provided by Eurostat and other statistical offices, which will allow to update the tool on monthly / quarterly basis as new data will become available.
• D6.1 Synthesis of research needs: analysis of ERs’ and ESRs’ research skills and needs.
• D6.2 Training strategy: “best practice guide” on the specific training tools (TSs, TWSs) that will be implemented to address the research needs of the ERs’ and ESRs’.
• D6.3 Training School: the first Training School (TS), targeting ESRs of the network was organised in UB-ICRIOS in order to widen the knowledge of the activities, providing intensive training on the project’s topics.
• D7.5 Dataset on Stakeholder’s Community: stakeholders’ database for the dissemination of e-Newsletters and specific project-related communications, in order to reach all the relevant stakeholders, differentiated by the typology of the target.
WP1: Catching Up Dynamic
Review of studies on Catching–Up between leader and follower countries; it focuses on the role played by one specific driver of Catching-up, which is the opening of windows of opportunities.
WP2: GVC: Analysis, Governance and Models
Map of the distributional outcomes in the value chain; understand how a chain allows local firms to strategically target the activities and relationships; to identify the type of existing governance structures and best practices; to identify factors that influence and trigger the upgrading of a value chain; to review the studies concerning BMs for entering, positioning, learning and upgrading in GVCs and then widening the existing models in an innovative manner.
WP3: Methods and Tools in GVC Analysis
To understand theoretical foundations and the main applications of the methodologies for mapping GVCs; to determine how firms, regions and countries are linked to the global economy; to clarify the different approaches in benchmarking production efficiency and the different methodological features of the indicators used to map and measure the value added.
WP4: Case Studies Country/Sector Specific
To develop new analytical models by specific country case studies; to design ad–hoc interventions that can strengthen their performance.
WP5: Models, Determinants and Policies for Catching-Up along the GVC
To understand how help ELICs in developing new areas of growth and SMEs in reaching a sufficient size to engage in international markets; to understand policy needs to respond to that new reality by helping promoting a business environment that facilitates creating economic and social development from GVC participation; to inform policymakers; to analyse countries’ value chain activity linked to growing sophistication and diversification of exports.
WP6: Training
Training activities in order to strengthen the expertise of ER and ESRs involved and improve their ability to achieve measurable and sustainable results.
As well as Dissemination-Outreach (WP7) and Coordination-Management (WP8).
During this first part of the Project, several activities and events have been carried out in order to achieve the established results.
After having identified researchers' needs, the First Training School for ESRs (D6.3) was organized in Bocconi, focused on Global Value Chains (theoretical concepts and empirical applications).
In addition, the First CatChain Conference on Micro-dynamics, Catching-Up and Global Value Chains was held in Bocconi.
In the first two years of the projects, 89 secondments have been implemented, for a total duration of over 162 person months, by 67 researchers from 12 countries, conducting research on the topic windows of opportunities and Global Value Chains (GVCs), among others.
The following scientific deliverables were carried out:
• D1.1 Catching Up among Firms, Industries and Countries: review of the methodological literature. In particular, the first part of the report surveys the growing empirical literature on catching up by discussing the main driving forces of catching up during the recent decades. Furthermore, it covers the methodological features of the indicators used to map and measure this phenomenon.
D1.2 Windows of Opportunities, GVC and Catching Up: set of model to study how the opening of windows of opportunities affects catching up through the restructuring of global value chains. Both the development of the models and their presentation in the project deliverable presented strong links with the case studies treated in D1.1. The reference literature consisted of the standard development literature as well as the dynamic models in the evolutionary and history–friendly tradition.
• D2.1 Research Report on “New paradigms BMs for SMEs for entering, learning and upgrading in GVCs in the era of 4IR”: literature review on methodologies and models for firms in upgrading in GVCs.
• D2.2 Dataset on “Global Trade Specialisation”: open access online dataset built data provided by Eurostat and other statistical offices, which will allow to update the tool on monthly / quarterly basis as new data will become available.
• D6.1 Synthesis of research needs: analysis of ERs’ and ESRs’ research skills and needs.
• D6.2 Training strategy: “best practice guide” on the specific training tools (TSs, TWSs) that will be implemented to address the research needs of the ERs’ and ESRs’.
• D6.3 Training School: the first Training School (TS), targeting ESRs of the network was organised in UB-ICRIOS in order to widen the knowledge of the activities, providing intensive training on the project’s topics.
• D7.5 Dataset on Stakeholder’s Community: stakeholders’ database for the dissemination of e-Newsletters and specific project-related communications, in order to reach all the relevant stakeholders, differentiated by the typology of the target.
So far the project has defined the state–of–the–art, creating a solid scientific foundation on Catching–Up, GVCs, international trade and value added measurement tools.
Expected results and potential impacts:
- improved knowledge on GVCs by the ESR/ER of the consortium, and advancement to the knowledge society;
- strengthening research partnerships through the mobility of researchers;
- empowering the existing network of partners in order to exchange knowledge comparing the approach of third countries to those of the EU;
- Identifying the existing determinants and efficient policies adopted, particularly within Emerging, Low–Income and Developing Countries (ELIDCs), and determining the constraints, remedial actions, and efficacy of new policy measures.
Expected results and potential impacts:
- improved knowledge on GVCs by the ESR/ER of the consortium, and advancement to the knowledge society;
- strengthening research partnerships through the mobility of researchers;
- empowering the existing network of partners in order to exchange knowledge comparing the approach of third countries to those of the EU;
- Identifying the existing determinants and efficient policies adopted, particularly within Emerging, Low–Income and Developing Countries (ELIDCs), and determining the constraints, remedial actions, and efficacy of new policy measures.