Global value chains and inward FDI: An empirical investigation of European firms

Abstract

This paper empirically investigates whether and how the level of GVC integration of a given market may explain the presence of foreign‐owned firms. Using firm‐level data from 28 European Union countries during the period 2008–2014, we provide evidence that a greater country‐sector‐level GVC participation, via both backward and forward linkages, exerts a positive effect on a firm's likelihood to receive FDI. These findings appear particularly strong for new EU Member States and services industries when looking at the differences across countries and sectors. Interestingly, when exploring the role of country‐sector position along the GVC, we find that FDI gains from backward GVC integration are more prominent if the markets are associated with the final stages of the supply chain, whereas those from forward GVC integration are greater when the markets are associated with the initial stages, in line with the smile curve hypothesis.