工业机器人与比较优势——基于跨国制造业数据的实证分析

Industrial Robots and Comparative Advantage--An Empirical Analysis Based on Cross-country Manufacturing Data

以工业自动化、智能化为趋势的新一轮技术革命是影响国家间竞争与分工格局的重要因素。本文利用2005—2018年国家—行业层面工业机器人数据和国际贸易数据,实证考察了工业机器人对一国制造业出口比较优势的影响及其潜在作用机制。本文的研究表明,工业机器人应用能够显著提升一国制造业出口的比较优势增长。进一步分析表明,工业机器人能够通过提升研发创新优势和产业内产品差异化两种渠道对比较优势产生正向影响;并且,工业机器人对一国出口比较优势的影响体现为“强化”效应,而非“重塑”效应。本文的研究是在新一代技术革命背景下探讨比较优势来源这一经典话题的有益尝试,为机器人与国际贸易的相关研究提供了一个新的视角,也为优化机器人产业战略布局提供了现实启示。

The new round of technological revolution trend with industrial automation and intelligence is an important factor affecting the pattern of global competition and specialization.This paper empirically examines the impact of industrial robots on a country's comparative advantage and its potential mechanisms,using country-industry level data on industrial robots and international trade data between 2005 and 2018.In this paper,we find that industrial robots can significantly improve the growth of a country's comparative advantage in manufacturing industries.Further study shows that industrial robots have a positive impact on comparative advantage by improving technological innovation advantage and intra-industry product differentiation.Moreover,the impact of industrial robots on a country's comparative advantage is reflected on"strengthening"effect,rather thann"reshaping"effect.This paper can be a beneficial attempt to explore the source of comparative advantage under the background of the new wave of technological revolution.This paper also provides a new perspective for the research of robots and international trade,and implications for optimizing the strategic layout of the robot industry.