We have seen in the past decade a sharp increase in the extent that companies use data to optimize their businesses. Variously called the `Big Data' or `Data Science' revolution, this has been characterized by massive amounts of data, including unstructured and nontraditional data like text and...

I offer an overview of some key conceptual aspects associated with the rise of global value chains (GVCs). I outline a series of alternative interpretations and definitions of what the rise of GVCs entails, and I trace the implications of these alternative conceptualizations for the measurement...

This paper surveys the recent body of work in economics on the importance of global value chains (GVCs) in shaping international trade flows and multinational activity. On the empirical front, we begin reviewing several variants of the "macro approach" to measuring the relevance of global...

This report takes stock of the evolution of global value chains (GVCs) in light of technological developments, such as robotics, big data and the Internet of Things. It discusses how these technologies are reshaping GVCs and examines the effect of these changes on labor markets in developed and...

We develop a property-rights model of the firm in which production entails a continuum of uniquely sequenced stages. In each stage, a final-good producer contracts with a distinct supplier for the procurement of a customized stage-specific component. Our model yields a sharp characterization for...

This report takes stock of the evolution of global value chains (GVCs) in light of technological developments, such as robotics, big data and the Internet of Things. It discusses how these technologies are reshaping GVCs and examines the effect of these changes on labor markets in developed and...

A collection of papers by some of the world’s leading specialists on global value chains (GVCs). It examines how GVCs have evolved and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. The approach is multidisciplinary, with contributions from economists, political scientists, supply chain...