Digitalisation and global value chain participation: evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms
研究了2006-2018年西班牙制造业企业采用数字技术如何影响其参与全球价值链，发现数字化通过提升生产率和促进中间品进口与出口来驱动参与。
This study examines the relationship between the adoption of digital technologies and firms’ participation in global value chains (GVCs), and the channels through which this relationship operates. Using a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms from 2006 to 2018, we analyse the impact of digitalisation on the decision to participate in GVCs. We construct a general synthetic index of digitalisation at the firm level, along with two additional indices capturing information and telecommunication technologies and automation processes. We find that digitalisation is a key driver of GVC participation, both through a direct effect and an indirect effect resulting from enhanced productivity. Our findings also provide evidence on the two channels -imports of intermediate inputs and exports- by which digitalisation affects GVC participation. In particular, ICTs are important for expanding export markets, whereas automation operates predominantly through the import channel and is limited to producers of intermediate goods.