Industrial International Competitiveness Research Articles

International Competitiveness of the Food Industry in European Union Member States

The primary purpose of the study was to assess the international competitiveness of the food industry in EU member states in trade to the world market and its changes in the years 2005-2012. The food industry was defined on the basis of the aggregation of departments at the two-digit level 01-09 and 11 of the Standard International Trade Classification SITC Rev. 3. The study uses the following indexes based on foreign trade. The share of export in the global market, the revealed comparative advantage index RCA, in index of import coverage with export and index the Grubel-Lloyd index of intra-industry trade were calculated. Due to the numerous aspects of the competitiveness phenomenon, the aggregate variable was also used for a complex assessment. A synthetic measure of international competitiveness was developed on the basis of the factors referred to above. Data published in the UN Comtrade database was used for the calculations. The conducted research indicates that the international competitive position of the food industry of particular EU member states was diverse. The highest places in the competitiveness ranking were occupied by states of the old EU, such as: the Netherlands, France, Spain and Denmark. Only their order changed, depending on the adopted time criterion. A particular improvement was observed among Central-Eastern European countries which belong to new member states. However, it mainly resulted from the low level of export in the initial period. On this basis, we may state that we should not expect significant changes in the level of international competitiveness of the food industry in particular EU member states in the future (maintaining the present conditions).

Analysis on the International Competitiveness of Chinese Clothing Industry

China has become the largest manufacturer and exporter in the global clothing market with cost advantages. Given the intensification of global competition, it is crucial to assess the present status and international competitiveness of Chinese clothing industry. This paper makes a quantitative analysis on the international competitiveness of Chinese clothing industry by using trade competitiveness index and revealed comparative advantage index. Moreover, based on an in-depth analysis of the influencing factors, this paper puts forward some measures to enhance the international competitiveness of Chinese clothing industry.

The Effects and Countermeasures of Low-Carbon Economy on China’s International Competitiveness of Industries

Contradiction between the environment and economic development have become increasingly prominent, high-carbon development model of the world economy is more difficult to maintain, low-carbon development has becomea strategic objective of all countries. Countries hold low-carbon technologies, the establishment of a green trade barriers, lack of core technology and our industry, lack of international competitiveness of exports facing enormous challenges. For this reason, the paper deeply analyzes the impact of a low-carbon economy on the international competitiveness of the industry and made a reasonable suggestions and strategies from both countries and companies on how to enhance the international competitiveness of industry.

Research on Industrial International Competitiveness - Based on Low Carbon Economy

Humanity must choose a low-carbon economy as the way of development, forced by global warming. From the perspective of international competitiveness of industry, low-carbon economy will affect the flow of trade and investment between countries. This article collected 28 manufacturing industries in China from 1995 to 2011 to compare the industrial international competitiveness in traditional evaluation system with which in new evaluation system in low-carbon economy. The results showed that competitiveness of industries fluctuated frequently in low-carbon economy compared with traditional evaluation system, which meant China’s manufacturing internal low-carbon mechanism had not formed.

International Competitiveness of the Chinese Publishing Industry

Based on the trade data and three international competitiveness evaluation indexes, namely, international market share, trade competitive index and revealed comparative advantage index, this paper analyzes the international competitiveness of Chinese publishing industry from horizontal and vertical dimensions. The results show that, the international competitiveness of Chinese publishing industry is enhanced year by year. However, compared with the USA, the UK, Germany and other developed countries, it is still significantly weaker, and the gap between each other has the potential to expand.

International Competitiveness of Export-oriented Industries in Bulgaria

With increasing globalization and Bulgaria’s accession into the European Union (EU), the question how to improve the country’s international competitiveness has become very important and urgent. The aim of the paper is to present the results of a research on the past decade’s competitiveness of Bulgarian export-oriented sectors, enjoying good positions in local and international markets and having a high development potential. The first part of the article presents a comprehensive review of the concept of competitiveness—its definitions, factors, and measurements at national, industry, and firm level. On the basis of the theoretical considerations, an empirical analysis on the current state of competitiveness of the selected export-oriented industries is performed. These include metallurgy, machine building, chemicals, clothing and textiles, furniture, wine production, tobacco, and food processing. The research answers the following questions: What are the major competitive advantages of Bulgarian export-oriented industries on the world market? What are their disadvantages? How did they change over the period 2002-2012, and what steps should be taken to meet the challenges? The employed methods of analysis are both quantitative—calculating various production, trade, and price indices, and qualitative—carrying out a survey among top managers of firms operating in the selected industries across all the regions of the country. Results show that the country’s competitiveness on international level has gradually improved but still remains at a comparatively low level as Bulgarian producers compete mostly on the price, invest very little in research and development (R&D), rely on low labor costs, and produce goods with low added value. The paper looks into the specific challenges to competitiveness faced by different sectors and the implications of addressing them. In conclusion, it puts forward some recommendations for boosting Bulgaria’s international competitiveness which are aimed at key stakeholders: companies, central and local government, and institutions promoting cooperation.

Impact of Energy Prices on Industrial Sector Development and Export: Lithuania in the Context of Baltic States

The sustainable development of a country depends on rates of economic growth. Economic growth, in its turn, is related to use of energy in terms its intensity and price. This paper aims to reveal if increasing prices of gas and electricity retard development of industrial sector of Lithuanian economy. A question, if international competitiveness of industry, measured by industrial export, remains unaffected in result of increase of energy resource prices is being raised. Energy intensity issues are not being tackled; during considered period energy intensity did not changed significantly. The object of research is industrial sector of Lithuanian economy. The method used is a correlation analysis, and the time span of data is 2000–2011. An economic interpretation of obtained results would lead to the conclusion that an increase of energy prices has not had significant malign impact on industrial sector development and export.

東京における産業構造の変化

The Tokyo metropolitan area is the largest city-region in the world, and is a location where many of the advanced functions in Japan are centralized. This paper overviews changes and characteristics in Tokyo's industrial structure at the metropolitan level, as well as the inner city level. The restructuring of manufacturing industries under the pressures of globalization and a declining population in an aging society has had powerful impacts on the industrial structure of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Most sub-regions within the area are suffering from declining manufacturing industries and wholesale and retail sectors with a depressed construction industry. On the other hand, the number of employees of service industries, such as health care and welfare, has risen in suburban areas. Although the growth rate in Tokyo's inner city became weak during the recession of the 1990s, after the collapse of the asset inflation-led economy, the functions of information services have again become concentrated since the early 2000s. The competitive power of new cultural industries has also been demonstrated in recent years. To enhance creativity and strengthen the international competitiveness of cultural industries, it is important to convert the internal structures of urban areas and to accelerate connections among various industrial agglomerations in the metropolitan area.

Solvency II Assumptions for Increasing the International Competitiveness of EU Insurance Industry

This paper aims to analyze Solvency II quantitative impact study made under conditions of undergoing legislative changes in the insurance market of European Union, called Solvency II regime. The main contribution of this paper is to present the analysis of quantitative and qualitative requirements, which insurers will have to meet under new Solvency II regime, how to escape mistakes during implementation period. Implementation into practice Solvency II Directive will help to increase the international competitiveness of EU insurance industry as they could reallocate own funds according the results of potential decrease or increase in solvency requirement relative to the standard formula.

F011005 イノベーション創出のための産・学・官への提言([F01100]計算力学部門企画,産学連携の実態-その課題と期待)

It is an important issue of Japan to create a new enterprise by an innovation. However, since there are few effective results corresponding to investment, we are worried about the fall of international industrial competitiveness of Japan. Therefore, in this lecture, it proposes about the innovation creation by industry-academia-goverament collaboration. First, the definition of an innovation is reconfirmed clearly. Next, the point for creating an innovation is shown. Finally, It is described what each industry, academia, and the government have to perform.

Exploring Competitive Strategies of China Ceramic Tile Industrial Cluster in Global Economy

In this paper, we discuss the competitive paradigm between globalization and local development in the ceramic tile industrial cluster, based on the Porter’s theory in exploring the factors of the global competitiveness. We analysis the theory of cluster and competitive theory to compare two ceramic tile clusters in different contexts for tracing the mechanism and path constructed ceramic industry international competitiveness and strategy formation. In the study, we discuss what changes come into play addressing the radical changes in world markets, both for ceramic tiles and for surrounding ceramic tile supportive industries. These issues will be discussed with amount of literature reviews through the various perspectives to explore more comprehensive insight to China ceramic tile industry.

환경규제와 한국의 무역

본 논문은 중력모형을 이용해서 환경규제가 한국의 수출량, 총무역량 및 국제경쟁력에 어떤 영향을 미치는가를 규명해 보는 것이다. 고정효과 추정방법을 이용해서 전 산업, 비 환경오염산업, 16개 환경오염산업을 대상으로 추정하였으며, 자료는 한국과 교역량이 많은 120개 국가를 선정하여 2000년-2010년 사이의 산업패널자료와 환경성과지수(EPI)를 환경규제의 대리변수로 사용하였다. 분석 결과 한국과 교역상대국의 국내총생산량이 한국의 무역을 신장시키는데 큰 영향을 미친 변수라면, 교역상대국의 환경규제는 한국의 오염산업의 수출과 무역량을 감소시키고 국제경쟁력을 떨어뜨리는 무역장벽의 역할을 하는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 분석기간 동안 비 오염산업에서는 이러한 환경규제효과가 극명하게 나타나지 않았다. 개별 산업에 대한 분석 결과 상당한 비중의 오염산업들이 교역상대국의 환경규제에 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났다. 이런 관점에서 동기간 사이에 한국의 무역에 있어서는 포터가설은 성립하지 않는 것으로 보인다. This paper analyzes the three issues related to the effect of environmental regulations on the Korean trades with gravity equation model: the effect on the Korean exports, the bilateral trade flows between the Korea and the trade partners, and the Korean international competitiveness. For all three issues we carried the empirical tests with fixed effect estimation methods for total industries, non-pollution industries, pollution industries, and also 16 individual pollution industries. We use industry panel data for the 120 largest trading countries with Korea for the years 2000-2010. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is used as the proxy variable for the environmental regulation. The empirical result shows that while GDPs of both Korea and its trading partners are very important factors affecting positively the Korean trades for all industries, the environmental regulation of the importing country would be a definite trade barrier to the Korean pollution industries, but not a definite one for the non-pollution industries. In addition, the stricter environmental regulations of Korea's trade partners would weaken the Korean international competitiveness of Korean pollution industries. In this regard, the Porter Hypothesis would have not appeared in the Korean trades of pollution industries during the period observed in this study.

Trends in Precision Manufacturing Based on Intelligent Design and Advanced Metrology

ts of extreme importance in present time of worldwide international competition in industry and production engineering to safe time on the one hand and on the other keep an eye on increasingly higher costs of energy and raw materials. Comprehensive knowledge in the areas of market requirements, product and process development and design, intelligent metrology and end of life management are important presuppositions to achieve rapid, agile, waste free and cost-effective production of innovative, customized complex products using next-generation materials as well as to protect the environment by making zero emissions and improve environmental sustainability and reduce the use of energy by using intelligent manufacturing systems.

An Analysis on International Competitiveness of Medical Tourism Industry in S.Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia

An Analysis on International Competitiveness of Medical Tourism Industry in S.Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia

Is there a case for carbon-based border tax adjustment? An applied general equilibrium analysis

Concern that unilateral Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reductions could foster carbon leakage and undermine the international competitiveness of domestic industry has led to growing calls for carbon-based Border-Tax Adjustments (BTAs). This article uses a global general equilibrium model to assess the economic effects of BTAs and comes to three main conclusions. First, BTAs can reduce carbon leakage if the coalition of countries taking action to reduce GHG emissions is small, because in this case leakage (while typically small) mainly occurs through international trade competitiveness losses rather than through declines in world fossil fuel prices. Second, even though the economic effects of BTAs vary somewhat depending on how they are implemented, their welfare impact is typically small, and slightly negative at the world level. Third, and perhaps more strikingly, BTAs do not necessarily curb the output losses incurred by the domestic Energy Intensive-Industries (EIIs) they are intended to protect in the first place. This is in part because EIIs in industrialized countries make important use of carbon-intensive intermediate inputs produced by EIIs in other geographical areas. Another, deeper explanation is that EIIs are ultimately more adversely affected by the existence of a carbon price itself than by any international competitiveness losses. These findings are shown to be robust to key model parameters, country coverage, targets and design features of BTAs.

Digitalization and intelligentization of manufacturing industry

China has entered a new historical period in her development. In order to achieve scientific development and to accelerate transformation of economic development pattern, the most fundamental issue is to rely on the power of science and technology, and the most crucial element is to improve the capability of independent innovation. The key for promoting China’s economic and social development is to embark on the innovation-driven track as soon as possible. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the landscape of the global competition has undergone profound changes. On the one hand, the strategic significance of the industrial economy has once again become prominent, as major developed countries are refocusing on the industrial economy and implementing a strategy of re-industrialization. In 2009, the U.S. enacted the Framework for Revitalization of U.S. Manufacturing Industry and Congress passed the Manufacturing Promotion Act. In late 2011, the U.S. initiated the ‘‘Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Plan’’ and released a five-year plan to revitalize and double the exports of the manufacturing sector. In February this year, the U.S. again promulgated an Advanced Manufacturing National Strategic Plan, under which she proposed to once again recognize the status of the advanced manufacturing sector in the national economy and maintain international leadership and dominance in the field of advanced manufacturing. Germany, Britain, Japan and other developed countries have launched a series of major initiatives to revitalize their manufacturing sector. On the other hand, a new round of industrial revolution is deepening, and developed countries in the West are proposing new ways of revitalizing their manufacturing sector, by relying on scientific and technological innovation, seizing the commanding heights in international industrial competition, and enhancing their core competencies in economic development in order to seize the initiative in future development. For example, through product model innovation, integration and incorporation of the latest technologies, Apple has successfully pioneered the development direction for IT products. Another example is the breakthrough of shale gas development in U.S. which brought about a ‘‘shale gas revolution’’. It had a profound impact not only on the world’s energy situation but also on the political and economic development. Recently, scholars in the U.S. have published a number of articles. Firstly, they emphasized the impending round of industrial revolution with ‘‘digitalization in manufacturing’’ as its core technology. Secondly, their viewpoint was that the U.S. had substantial advantage in information technology which should be vigorously developed and widely applied using digitalization and intelligentization as the core technology in advanced manufacturing, in order to achieve revolutionary changes in the manufacturing sector. Thirdly, they pointedly noted that with the emerging technologies, in 20 years’ time China’s manufacturing industry will very likely experience the budding difficulties faced by the U.S. during the past 20 years. Very soon it will be China’s turn to be worried. After 60-plus years endeavors made after the founding of New China—in particular the struggles during economic reform and opening up over the past 30 years—China’s manufacturing industry has achieved historical leaps and J. Zhou (&) Chinese Academy of Engineering, Beijing, China

Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of the Security Degree for Chinese Iron and Steel Industry

Abstract In order to objectively measure the security degree for Chinese iron and steel industry, a security evaluation system is proposed. The proposed system includes 12 carefully selected indexes which are designed based on industrial domestic environment, industrial international competitiveness, industrial dependence on foreign and industrial control. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to obtain the index’s weight. Linear comprehensive model is adopted and nonlinear comprehensive evaluation model is proposed to aggregate the indexes together. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed system, the evaluation of the security degree for Chinese iron and steel industry from 2000 to 2010 has been conducted. Results have shown that the system can effectively reflect the security status.

Competitiveness of the Euro Zone Manufacturing: A Panel Data Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to assess the main aspects involved in the competitiveness of manufacturing industries in the Euro zone area (EZ-12). To this end, we apply the generalized method of moments to a panel data error correction model. Our sample spans the period from 1970 to 2007, and our findings provide insight into the impact of manufacturing on the international competitiveness of European firms and industries. From the estimated magnitude of the relevant coefficients, we conclude that in the long run, a change in labor and capital compensation is not fully passed on to manufacturing growth, while an increase in the market power of the manufacturing sector will negatively affect its competitiveness.

Developing an Engineering Data Bank Service for the Precision Machinery Industry Cluster Using the Living Lab Concept

In Taiwan the precision machinery industry has always played an important role in promoting important industrial upgrades. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for the vast majority of participants in this industry. Because of their size and number they face a number of problems. These include difficulty in responding quickly to market demand, a low level of collaboration, and insufficient interaction between designers in central factories and the subcontractors who manufacture components for them. Taiwan’s i236 initiative applied a Living Lab Concept, along with information and communication technology (ICT), to develop a cloud-based ‘Engineering Data Bank Service’ to act as a hub for gathering data together from a local precision machinery industry ecosystem. The Taichung City Precision Machinery Innovation Technology Park was selected as the test site. After deploying the service to more than 400 SMEs, it is found that this service has a low deployment cost, and can indeed effectively enhance the working efficiency of R&D personnel and increase the interaction between central factories and subcontractors, thereby enhancing the international competitiveness of the precision machinery industry in Taiwan.

International Competitiveness of Japan's Petroleum Industry: A View from Applied Business History

This study uses historical analyses to offer recommendations on developing the international competitiveness of Japan’s petroleum industry. The choice was made to focus on historical processes in discussing this contemporary subject, as this study uses applied business history to perform analyses.