Abstract
This paper revisits the interrelated concepts of industrial upgrading and strategic coupling, focusing on supplier regions in global value chains. It aims to explore time-space contingent regional upgrading and coupling processes in the context of global change, and how these may interconnect with vulnerabilities in supplier regions. The paper focuses on the Bangkok-to-Chantabury region of Thailand, which is a main center for trading and processing of coloured gemstone. Different, but highly interconnected, processes of upgrading and (de-/re-)coupling have been taking place over time in different parts of the region, also leading to national-level upgrading strategies for the industry. The paper pinpoints how recent and ongoing global challenges, such as increased competition from other gemstone processing clusters and online gemstone trade and auctioning, have challenged the expected outcomes of industrial upgrading as a long-term development strategy.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication date | 2022 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
| Event | SASE 34th Annual Conference 2022: Fractious Connections: Anarchy, Activism, Coordination, and Control - University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands Duration: 9 Jul 2022 → 11 Jul 2022 Conference number: 34 |
Conference
| Conference | SASE 34th Annual Conference 2022 |
|---|---|
| Number | 34 |
| Location | University of Amsterdam |
| Country/Territory | Netherlands |
| City | Amsterdam |
| Period | 09/07/2022 → 11/07/2022 |