全球价值链中的功能升级

摘要

This paper studies patterns of functional change, defined as the change in the value chain functions performed within the manufacturing sector and related business services. To this end, a novel measure for the sophistication of value chain functions, labelled FUNCY, is developed, establishing a hierarchy of value chain functions. From the FUNCY measure functional productivities in the manufacturing sector are derived. A decomposition analysis, comprising developing and developed countries over time (2003-2022), suggests that, in contrast to the well-studied phenomenon of structural change, developing countries experienced modest functional upgrading over the past two decades. These group-level results mask large heterogeneity in the functional change component at the country level. Functional upgrading is driven by shifts from fabrication activities towards value chain functions with higher functional productivity such as business services. However, ‘large jumps’ to high-productivity functions such as ICT services or R&D activities are extremely rare.