Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Lema, Rasmus
Author-Email: lema@business.aau.dk
Author-Workplace-Name: Aalborg University, and University of Johannesburg
Author-Name: Pietrobelli, Carlo
Author-Email: pietrobelli@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT, and University Roma Tre
Author-Name: Rabellotti, Roberta
Author-Email: roberta.rabellotti@unipv.it
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Pavia, and Aalborg University
Author-Name: Vezzani, Antonio
Author-Email: antonio.vezzani@uniroma3.it
Author-Workplace-Name: University Roma Tre
Title:  Deepening or delinking? Innovative capacity and global value chain participation 
	 in the ICT sectors 
Abstract: Innovation trajectories in global value chains can take highly
	 differentiated pathways. Firms and other organisations operating in a
	 sector in a given country may gain or lose innovative capacity over time
	 compared to their peers in other countries. In this paper we address the
	 question: do stylised trajectories emerge from the analysis of
	 countries' relative innovative capacity and global value chain
	 participation? We draw explorative insights from a cluster analysis of
	 45 countries on the subsectors of the information and communication
	 technology industry: hardware and software. Our analysis uncovers
	 remarkable differences across sectors and countries. We identify
	 different trajectories and discuss the sub-sectoral specificities which
	 contribute to explaining these differences. The association between the
	 strengthening of innovative capacity and deeper insertion in global
	 value chains applies to only a handful of countries and only in the
	 software subsector. These findings raise questions for future research
	 on innovation in global value chains.
Classification-JEL: F23, D23, L22, L25, O10, O32, O38
Keywords: Global value chains, Innovation capacity, Innovation trajectories,
	 Hardware, Software, ICT
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20210301
Number: 2021-007
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2021/wp2021-007.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2021007