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Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty caused by a shift toward protectionism and the COVID-19 pandemic among other issues, this book suggests that international trade fairs (ITFs) represent a vital source of economic dynamism that can support national and regional economies by creating opportunities for firms to access new markets, network with key actors in their industry or value chain, and tap into valuable external knowledge flows regarding new technologies and innovations. Author Rachael Gibson argues that ITFs have become crucial nodes in the global political economy, driving global economic dynamics and mediating differences between capitalist economies regarding their technological and institutional practices and conditions. In this way, ITFs represent a decisive mechanism by which distinct national patterns of technological specialization may converge or diverge.
Trade fairs represent important platforms for networking, interactive learning, and knowledge exchange because they foster intense interactions among actors despite spatial boundaries. ITFs also tend to be organized according to a specific technological or industry focus, which means that they can facilitate interactions between firms from different capitalist varieties. Through the diffusion of state-of-the-art knowledge, ITFs may, thus, serve as drivers of economic globalization, challenging the continuation of distinct capitalist varieties by enabling cross-system convergence regarding the technological specializations of firms. Yet, it is clear that countries have retained competitive advantages in specific industries and that full convergence has not taken place. This book explores this puzzle.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Role of International Trade Fairs in the Global Political Economy.- Chapter 2: International Trade Fairs as Mediators of Institutional Change.- Chapter 3: The Study of Comparative Capitalisms and the Problem of Institutional Change.- Chapter 4: Trade Fairs as "Organized Anarchies" and the Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice.- Chapter 5: The Nature of Firms' Search Processes at International Trade Fairs: A Qualitative Analysis.- Chapter 5: The Nature of Firms' Search Processes at International Trade Fairs: A Qualitative Analysis.- Chapter 6: Identifying National Patterns of Firm Behaviour at International Trade Fairs: A Quantitative Analysis.- Chapter 7: Conclusion: Ongoing Specialization or Convergence of Capitalist Varieties?.
About the author
Dr. Rachael Gibson works in the field of program and policy evaluation at the University of Toronto Evaluation Centre for Complex Health Interventions. This book is based on her recently-completed doctoral dissertation.
