--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-15/old-and-new-asset-boundaries-a-review-article-on-measuring-capital-in-the-new-economy/" title: "Old and New Asset Boundaries: A Review Article on Measuring Capital in the New Economy" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T06:54:01+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T06:54:01+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2007" ipm_keyword: - "Corrado" - "Haltiwanger" - "intangible capital" - "measurement" - "national accounts" - "new economy" - "productivity" - "review article" - "Sichel" ipm_research_theme: - "Measurement and methodology" ipm_country_focus: - "International" - "OECD" - "United States" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Old and New Asset Boundaries: A Review Article on Measuring Capital in the New Economy Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-15/old-and-new-asset-boundaries-a-review-article-on-measuring-capital-in-the-new-economy/ # Old and New Asset Boundaries: A Review Article on Measuring Capital in the New Economy [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-15-5-Schreyer.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Schreyer, Paul. 2007. “Old and New Asset Boundaries: A Review Article on Measuring Capital in the New Economy.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 15 (Fall 2007): 77–82. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-15/old-and-new-asset-boundaries-a-review-article-on-measuring-capital-in-the-new-economy/ ## Author: - Paul Schreyer OECD ## IPM Issue 15 Fall 2007 pp. 77–82 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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While some intangibles are covered by established capital measures in the national accounts, many are outside the measurement boundary. The NBER volume at hand brings together the most up-to-date empricial and conceptual work that aims at measuring intangibles comprehensively. The different articles show that there is neither a single definition nor a single method to measure intangibles. This is not surprising given the very nature of these assets. The many challenges for measurement also mean that more work needs to be done before considering a broad set of intangibles assets for recognition in the national accounts. This reduces in no way the value of current and future research on the issue and the NBER volume constitutes an excellent reference for analysts and national accountants. T HE VOLUME , Measuring Capital in the New Dans les économies modernes, le changement technique est rapide et les avantages concurrentiels des entreprises sont étroitement liés au capital « immatériel ». Si certains actifs immatériels sont couverts par les mesures de capital établies dans les comptes nationaux, beaucoup se situent en dehors de la frontière de mesure. Le volume du NBER rassemble les travaux empiriques et conceptuels les plus récents visant à mesurer les actifs immatériels de manière exhaustive. Les différents articles montrent qu’il n’existe ni définition unique ni méthode unique pour mesurer les actifs immatériels, ce qui n’est pas surprenant compte tenu de la nature même de ces actifs. Les nombreux défis de mesure signifient également que des travaux supplémentaires sont nécessaires avant d’envisager la reconnaissance d’un large ensemble d’actifs immatériels dans les comptes nationaux. Ce qui ne diminue en rien la valeur des recherches actuelles et futures sur ce sujet, et le volume du NBER constitue une excellente référence pour les analystes et les comptables nationaux. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-15-5-Schreyer.pdf)