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The Factory-Free Economy. Outsourcing, Servitization, and the Future of Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Lionel Fontagné

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Ann Harrison

    (Bank of America Dean)

Abstract

De-industrialization, accelerated by the financial crisis, is a long term process. The comparative advantage of emerging economies shifted towards more advanced goods and their growing populations commanded an increasing share in global demand. This shift towards a factory-free economy in high income countries has drawn the attention of policy makers in North America and Europe. Some politicians have articulated alarming views, initiating mercantilist or 'beggar-thy-neighbour' cost-competitiveness policies. Yet companies that concentrate research and design innovations at home but no longer have any factories there may be the norm in the future. This volume proposes an economic analysis of this phenomenon and includes 11 contributions which complement each other and tackle the problem from different angles. The evidence in this book suggests that de-industrialization is a process that happens over time in all countries, even China. One implication is that criticism of China is not likely to provide a solution to these long term trends. Another implication is that the distinction between manufacturing and services is likely to become increasingly blurry. More manufacturing firms are engaging in services activities, and more wholesale firms are engaging in manufacturing. One optimistic perspective suggests that industrial country firms may be able to exploit the high-value added and skill-intensive activities associated with design and innovation, as well as distribution, which are all components of the global value chain for manufacturing. Although this ongoing transformation of the industrial economies may be consistent with evolving comparative advantage, it has significant short-run costs and requires far-sighted investments. These include the costs to workers who are caught in the shift from an industrial to a service economy, and the need to invest in new infrastructure and education to prepare coming generations for their changing roles.

Suggested Citation

  • Lionel Fontagné & Ann Harrison, 2017. "The Factory-Free Economy. Outsourcing, Servitization, and the Future of Industry," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-02923043, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-02923043
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    Cited by:

    1. Loe Franssen, 2020. "Capturing Value in South–South and South–North Value Chains: Evidence from East Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(4), pages 939-975, September.
    2. Wen Chen & Bart Los & Marcel P. Timmer, 2017. "Factor Incomes in Global Value Chains: The Role of Intangibles," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring and Accounting for Innovation in the Twenty-First Century, pages 373-401, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Ansgar Belke & Ulrich Volz, 2020. "The Yen Exchange Rate and the Hollowing Out of the Japanese Industry," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 371-406, April.
    4. Stefan Pahl & Marcel P. Timmer, 2020. "Do Global Value Chains Enhance Economic Upgrading? A Long View," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(9), pages 1683-1705, July.
    5. Lachiewicz Stefan & Matejun Marek & Pietras Paweł & Szczepańczyk Maciej, 2018. "Servitization as a Concept for Managing the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises," Management, Sciendo, vol. 22(2), pages 80-94, December.
    6. Peter J. Buckley & Roger Strange & Marcel P. Timmer & Gaaitzen J. de Vries, 2020. "Catching-up in the global factory: Analysis and policy implications," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 3(2), pages 79-106, June.
    7. Lionel Fontagné & Ann Harrison, 2017. "The Factory-Free Economy. Outsourcing, Servitization, and the Future of Industry," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02923043, HAL.
    8. Harrison Ann, 2018. "International Trade or Technology? Who is Left Behind and What to do about it," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, December.
    9. Peter J Buckley & Surender Munjal & Ignacio Requejo, 2022. "How does offshore outsourcing of knowledge-intensive activities affect the exports and financial performance of emerging market firms?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(9), pages 1971-1996, December.
    10. Alexander Jaax & Sébastien Miroudot, 2021. "Capturing value in GVCs through intangible assets: The role of the trade–investment–intellectual property nexus," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(3), pages 433-452, September.
    11. Li, Chunding & Whalley, John, 2021. "Trade protectionism and US manufacturing employment," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 353-361.
    12. Andrea Coveri & Mario Pianta, 2019. "The Structural Dynamics of Income Distribution:Technology, Wages and Profits," Working Papers 1901, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2019.
    13. Matteo Fiorini & Bernard Hoekman & Clément Malgouyres, 2018. "Services policy reform and manufacturing employment: Evidence from transition economies," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(9), pages 2320-2348, September.
    14. Diane Coyle & David Nguyen, 2019. "No plant, no problem? Factoryless manufacturing and economic measurement," Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE) Discussion Papers ESCoE DP-2019-15, Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE).
    15. Hongsen Wang & Qing Guo & Xianming Kuang, 2023. "Effects of manufacturing input servitization on labor income share and income distribution," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Ariu, Andrea & Breinlich, Holger & Corcos, Gregory & Mion, Giordano, 2019. "The interconnections between services and goods trade at the firm-level," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 173-188.
    17. Marcel P Timmer & Sébastien Miroudot & Gaaitzen J de Vries, 2019. "Functional specialisation in trade," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(1), pages 1-30.
    18. Gaaitzen de Vries & Aobo Jiang & Oscar Lemmers & Shang‐Jin Wei, 2021. "Firm productivity and functional specialisation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(5), pages 1232-1260, May.
    19. Yang Feng & Yang Wang, 2021. "The Impact of Deindustrialization on Economic Growth——Evidence from China," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, May.
    20. Muendler, Marc-Andreas, 2017. "Trade, technology, and prosperity: An account of evidence from a labor-market perspective," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2017-15, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

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