High export capacity is a key element for sustained long-term economic growth. To achieve this goal, the technological sophistication of exports plays a key role. To enhance exports with a high level of technological sophistication, it is critical to target key drivers of high-tech exports. Hence, this article studies the determinants of international trade flows of manufactures according to their technological content in the case of OECD countries. Given a panel of 35 countries and 15 years (2004 to 2018), panel data estimation techniques are used in the analysis. In addition, two alternative measures have been considered to measure the importance of high-technology content manufacturing exports: High-tech manufacturing exports and high-tech manufacturing exports as a share of total employment. Results obtained show strong evidence of the relevance of variables such as gross fixed capital formation on total employment, the land area per capita, the percentage of university graduates relative to the population group, R&D expenditure in terms of GDP, the stock of inward foreign direct investment in terms of GDP, imports of high-tech manufactures as a share of GDP, the quality of national governance and regulation, the country population and EU membership as determinants of technology-intensive exports. Moreover, the findings have significant implications for trade and industrial policies in OECD countries, to ensure the effectiveness of policies targeting the technological upgrading of exports.

El insuficiente contenido tecnológico y la escasa diversificación geográfica de las manufacturas exportadas, son dos de las características del patrón de especialización de las exportaciones españolas que los distintos gobiernos han intentado corregir en los últimos años, diseñando diversos mecanismos recogidos en las diferentes estrategias de internacionalización, y cuyo fin último es la mejora en la eficiencia del sector exterior español de manufacturas. El presente trabajo, a través del análisis comparativo de las exportaciones de manufacturas españolas, de los principales países exportadores de la UE y del resto del mundo a la ASEAN, trata de determinar posibles potencialidades para las empresas manufactureras españolas en sus procesos de internacionalización en la ASEAN, con especial énfasis en las manufacturas con mayor intensidad tecnológica.  

Este estudio analiza la evolución de la intensidad tecnológica de las exportaciones españolas de manufacturas durante el periodo 2000-2018, concluyendo que los resultados no han sido muy satisfactorios en relación con la mejora del componente tecnológico de las exportaciones españolas. Asimismo, se analizan las ventajas comparativas de las principales manufacturas con mayor intensidad tecnológica, con el fin de que sirva de ayuda en la elección de sectores estratégicos dentro de la nueva estrategia PASE.

This article analyses trade flows EU-ASEAN, focusing on export performance and technological intensity, covering the years 2004–2016. The aim of this paper is to analyse to what extent, a further trade integration between the EU and ASEAN, could generate business opportunities for countries in both trading blocs. This analysis could serve as a basis for designing and implementing effective policies and strategies by policymakers in the face of a deepening EU-ASEAN trade integration. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the degree of complementarity of trade patterns, the weight of intra-industry trade, and the revealed comparative advantages allows us to outline some of those challenges and opportunities. Results suggest that intra-industry trade is moderate, mainly focused on few manufactures, accounting for a low value of total trade flows between the two blocs, and concentrated in a few countries. The Lafay index analysis suggests that the EU and ASEAN are natural partners regarding the technological patterns of the revealed comparative advantages; therefore, a deepening in trade integration between this trading blocs could allow to exploit those comparative advantages.