RIETI Policy Symposium

Frontier of Inter-firm Network Analysis: Power of network and geographical friction

Announcement

Firms operate in complex inter-firm networks, which spread globally across country borders. In recent years, researchers have been actively engaging in using large-scale microdata on inter-firm networks to understand firm activities. Meanwhile, construction of inter-firm networks is considered to be the source of firm competitiveness. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has been conducting various policies to support network building to utilize such effect of connectedness. It has been pointed out that building inter-firm networks with remote firms causes geographical friction, and it is important to conduct policies to lower such geographical friction.

This symposium will invite the world's leading researchers in the fields of international trade and spatial economics to report on their latest research from both theoretical and empirical aspects. Against the backdrop of these research results, panel discussions will follow to discuss a policy to lower geographical frictions in building inter-firm networks (mainly on enhancing transport infrastructure such as the shinkansen high-speed rail network) and its impacts on firm performance, innovation, employment, and economic welfare.

Information

  • Time and Date: 14:00-17:50, Tuesday, March 8, 2016
  • Venue: Iino Hall & Conference Center, Room B
    (2-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
  • Languages: English / Japanese (with simultaneous interpretation)
  • Admission: ¥1,000 (an official receipt will be issued) (Students: free; please present your student ID at the reception desk)
  • Hosts: Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
  • Seating Capacity: 150
  • Contact: RIETI MINOWA (E-mail)
    Tel: 03-3501-8398

Handouts pertaining to the event will be available for download from the RIETI website after the event.

Online Registration is now closed.
We are no longer accepting registrations as the number of registrants has reached the seating capacity.
Thank you.

Program

14:00 - 14:20 Opening Remarks and Introduction

FUJITA Masahisa (President and CRO, RIETI /Professor, Konan University / Adjunct Professor, Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University)

14:20 - 16:20 Presentation

14:20 - 14:50 Presentation1 "Implications of Inter-firm Networks for Theories of Production and Trade"

Samuel KORTUM (James Burrows Moffatt Professor of Economics, Yale University)

14:50 - 15:20 Presentation2 "Empirical Evidence of Firm-to-firm Network in Trade and its Implications"

Andrew BERNARD (Jack Byrne Professor, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College)

15:20 - 15:50 Presentation3 "Trade, Sectoral Linkages, and Labor Market Dynamics: Quantitative implications"

Lorenzo CALIENDO (Associate Professor of Economics, Yale University)

15:50 - 16:20 Presentation4 "The Implications of Agglomeration and Regional Spillover Effects"

Robert DEKLE (Professor of Economics, University of Southern California)

16:20-16:35 Coffee Break

16:35 - 17:50 Panel Discussion

16:35 - 16:50 Introduction

SAITO Yukiko (Senior Fellow, RIETI)

16:50 - 17:50 Discussion / Q&A

Panelist (in order of appearance)

Samuel KORTUM (James Burrows Moffatt Professor of Economics, Yale University)

Andrew BERNARD (Jack Byrne Professor, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College)

Lorenzo CALIENDO (Associate Professor of Economics, Yale University)

Robert DEKLE (Professor of Economics, University of Southern California)

Moderator

HAMAGUCHI Nobuaki (Program Director, RIETI / Professor, Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration (RIEB), Kobe University)