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ICT intermediates and productivity spillovers—Evidence from German and US manufacturing sectors

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  • Strobel, Thomas

Abstract

Recent pre-crisis growth accounting exercises attribute productivity growth accelerations to investments in information and communication technologies (ICT). Stylized facts about a growing US–EU productivity gap are confirmed for Germany, particularly showing no substantially economy-wide ICT effects for German sectors. Tracing the effect from ICT during 1991–2005, this study takes a different view by expanding the value-added concept to gross output including different types of intermediate inputs. The findings suggest that imported intermediate inputs played a more dominating role in Germany, particularly imported non-ICT and ICT materials. In the US, main drivers were domestically-produced non-ICT services and ICT materials, even though imported ICT materials were on the upraise post 1995. Moreover, German TFP growth experienced increasing returns to scale from domestically-produced ICT materials, while US TFP growth originated from imported ICT materials. It will be argued that these different productivity effects stem from different functions of ICT in the production process, which originated in the ICT-production sectors and were passed on to downstream sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Strobel, Thomas, 2016. "ICT intermediates and productivity spillovers—Evidence from German and US manufacturing sectors," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 147-163.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:streco:v:37:y:2016:i:c:p:147-163
    DOI: 10.1016/j.strueco.2016.04.003
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    4. Xu, Qiong & Zhong, Meirui & Li, Xin, 2022. "How does digitalization affect energy? International evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
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    9. Elstner, Steffen & Grimme, Christian & Kecht, Valentin & Lehmann, Robert, 2022. "The diffusion of technological progress in ICT," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
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    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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