The Intangible Economy: How Services Shape Global Production and Consumption

The Intangible Economy: How Services Shape Global Production and Consumption studies aspects of the role of services in development as well as on particular sectoral issues, always with policy considerations lurking not far from the analysis. The volume highlights the evolution and significance of services in the global economy, including as a vehicle for development. It discusses the major pillars that hold the services infrastructure together, namely, its governance and financing mechanisms. Other chapters adopt more specific geographical or sectoral perspectives, including a regional study of the impact of services in economic integration in ASEAN; a country-level analysis of the role of services in economic and social upgrading in India; a look at industry-specific dynamics through the business process outsourcing model; and finally, a value chain view to understand how services are impacted on a granular or micro level by policies.

Deborah K. Elms is Founder and Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre, Singapore. She is also a senior fellow in the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry's Trade Academy. Her research interests are negotiations and decision making, and her current research involves the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) negotiations and global value chains.

Arian Hassani is currently based in Hong Kong where she covers J. P. Morgan's philanthropic activities across ASEAN and Australia, focusing on job creation and poverty alleviation. She has over fourteen years of experience as an international development professional. Before joining J. P. Morgan, Arian managed Fung Global Institute's (FGI) research on Asian finance, supply chains, governance, and sustainability.

Patrick Low is Visiting Professor and Director of the Asia Global Institute's Asia Global Fellows Programme at Hong Kong University. From 1997 to 2013, he was Chief Economist at the World Trade Organization and a senior research economist at the World Bank from 1990 to 1994, where he worked on trade issues, trade and environment, fiscal policy and governance in customs administrations.