How service sector innovation and internationalisation impact growth and productivity – CASE kicks-off the SERVICEGAP project

The increasing importance of the market service sector appears to play a crucial role in the differential economic performance among industrialised countries.  A new CASE project is considering the academic and policy concerns that arise from this phenomenon.  It does so by examining developments in: productivity and its drivers within market services, linkages between services and manufacturing industries, innovation in delivery and types of services, and international relationships. The research will produce a comprehensive study on the impact of market services on aggregate economic growth in the EU and its comparative performance level relative to competitor regions, particularly the US.

On June 14-15, 2010 CASE experts attended the SERVICEGAP project kick-off meeting in Birmingham, UK to discuss the discourse of the three year project (March 2010 - February 2013).  CASE will implement the project as a member in a consortium led by the University of Birmingham, where CASE research will focus primarily around the issues of productivity and its drivers in service industries, and firm strategies in the knowledge based economy.  The study is funded through the Framework Programme Seven (FP7) of European Commission DG Research.