Dutch Scientists’ Contribution to the Study of Global Value Chains

Abstract

Global value chains (GVCs) have significantly shaped the architecture of the world economy in recent decades and a new phenomenon of value-added trade has emerged. Analysis of these processes requires an adequate and comprehensive statistical base. This paper aims to assess the contribution of Dutch scientists to the study of GVCs, primarily to the development of the World Input-Output Database (WIOD). WIOD was developed in the University of Groningen in the Netherlands (with the participation of such scientists such as Marcel Timmer, Bart Los, Gaaitzen de Vries, etc.). The WIOD database contains information on transactions between producers and consumers within and between countries as well as on value added flows in the framework of international inter-industry trade. The use of WIOD makes it possible to identify the volumes and areas of value-added trade and assess the degree of international production fragmentation both for the purposes of scientific research and for the purpose of developing adequate economic policies. The authors come to the conclusion that the WIOD statistical base turned out to be in great demand among individual researchers and international organizations. Besides, the research problems cover not only the sphere of international trade, but also other subject areas, in particular, energy, ecology, employment, etc.