A New Tool for Research and Policy to Characterize International Services
This article is providing a framework for international services research and policy development work
As digital technologies rise and goods and services increasingly blend, a traditional understanding of international services has become harder to apply, creating challenges for research and policy development. This new article highlights why existing international services research and policy are struggling to keep up with rapid technological and economic change and proposes a way forward. It addresses the need for a better characterization of international services by introducing a conceptual framework built around four dimensions: connectivity (the infrastructures and institutions enabling service delivery), configuration (how service activities are structured globally), collaboration (the interactions between providers and clients across borders), and value creation (how services generate benefits). It shows how policymakers can address emerging challenges, from non-tariff barriers and digital disruptions to fragmented service value chains, and offers researchers a clearer lens for studying international service dynamics.