The Co-Evolution of the Electronics Industry: Policy Interactions Across the Pacific

Abstract

In this exploratory note, development of the global electronics industry is viewed by accounting for cross-border co-evolution under policy interactions. A sketch is made from novel angles of the world distribution of major firms in the production and utilization of information technology, the fabrication, outsourcing and trading network, and the institutional and policy matrix that shapes observed comparative advantages and trade gains. The current prominence of the Circa-Pacific nexus in the world and the competing yet complementary relations among these economies are examined to give policy analysis its historical perspective. Hopefully, this will stimulate further studies into various open questions.

Keywords: electronics, IT, co-evolution, international production network, Circa-Pacific, China

JEL Classification: F02, F13, F14, L14, L52, L63