--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-34/the-changing-structure-of-global-value-chains-are-central-hubs-key-for-productivity/" title: "The Changing Structure of Global Value Chains: Are Central Hubs Key for Productivity?" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:52:36+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:52:36+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Spring 2018" ipm_keyword: - "1995-2011" - "centrality" - "Eastern Europe" - "EU accession" - "firm-level" - "GVC" - "hub" - "OECD" - "ORBIS" - "periphery" - "productivity" ipm_research_theme: - "Sectoral and firm-level dynamics" - "Trade" ipm_country_focus: - "Europe" - "International" - "OECD" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # The Changing Structure of Global Value Chains: Are Central Hubs Key for Productivity? Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-34/the-changing-structure-of-global-value-chains-are-central-hubs-key-for-productivity/ # The Changing Structure of Global Value Chains: Are Central Hubs Key for Productivity? [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-34-4-Criscuolo-Timmis.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Criscuolo, Chiara, and Jonathan Timmis. 2018. “The Changing Structure of Global Value Chains: Are Central Hubs Key for Productivity?” International Productivity Monitor, No. 34 (Spring 2018): 64–80. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-34/the-changing-structure-of-global-value-chains-are-central-hubs-key-for-productivity/ ## Authors: - Chiara Criscuolo OECD - Jonathan Timmis OECD ## IPM Issue 34 Spring 2018 pp. 64–80 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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The Canadian Experience Tim Sargent Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 39–53](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/how-does-industrial-policy-impact-output-hours-and-productivity-the-canadian-experience/) [Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration Dirk Pilat Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 54–86](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This article uses “centrality” metrics reflecting position within Global Value Chains (GVCs) to identify central hubs and peripheral European economies and sectors. We find evidence of large changes in the structure of European production networks, with rising importance of Eastern European economies coinciding with the timing of their EU accession. Using cross-country firm-level data from ORBIS, we find that changing structure of GVCs can play a role in the catchup of firms, but the effects are heterogeneous across firms and countries. First, becoming more central is associated with faster productivity growth of firms in post-2004 EU members. Second, the average productivity (centrality weighted) of buyers/suppliers matters for the productivity of firms overall in other European economies, and particularly non-frontier (initially less productive) firms in both groups of countries. The results for post-2004 EU members suggest that policies to encourage integration into GVCs are particularly important for the productivity of emerging or less integrated economies, whereas for more advanced economies a more sophisticated policy is needed that encourages the formation of linkages with productive, frontier foreign firms and economies. The productivity effects of Global Value Cet article utilise des mesures de « centralité » reflétant la position au sein des chaînes de valeur mondiales (CVM) pour identifier les hubs centraux et les économies et secteurs périphériques européens. Nous trouvons des données probantes de grands changements dans la structure des réseaux de production européens, avec une importance croissante des économies d’Europe orientale coïncidant avec le calendrier de leur adhésion à l’UE. À l’aide de données transnationales au niveau des entreprises provenant d’ORBIS, nous constatons que la structure changeante des CVM peut jouer un rôle dans le rattrapage des entreprises, mais que les effets sont hétérogènes selon les entreprises et les pays. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-34-4-Criscuolo-Timmis.pdf)